Synagogue Oberstein (Idar-Oberstein)

The synagogue in Oberstein , a district of the city of Idar-Oberstein , was built in 1876 in the street Auf der Au (today's Austraße 4). During the November pogroms in 1938 , the synagogue was devastated and set on fire. The city acquired the building and converted it into an air raid school. In 1950 the former synagogue was sold to a jewelry manufacturer. In 1972 the building was sold again, removed down to the foundation walls and a new building was erected on the site.

synagogue

Memorial plaque to the Oberstein synagogue

A synagogue is first mentioned in 1780. Since the Jewish community had grown rapidly, a building application for a new synagogue was submitted in 1817, but this was rejected. The Jewish community was allowed to set up a prayer room in a larger building in 1819. In 1833 the Jews living in Idar , who had previously attended church services in Oberstein, wanted to set up their own prayer room. This could be prevented through the mediation of the regional rabbi Samuel Felsenstein. After the existing prayer room had also become too small, planning began in 1865 for the construction of a new synagogue. In 1876 the synagogue was built in the street Auf der Au (today's Austraße 4). On the gable side, the building had a central porch. There were two arched windows on the ground floor. In the upper part of the porch there was a round window with a star of David depicted in the pane . On the right and left side of the porch, at the same height as the round window of the porch, there was also a round window. The entrance portal, which could be reached by stairs, was to the left of the porch. To the right of the porch was a large arched window on the ground floor. In 1926/27, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the synagogue, a renovation took place. During the November pogroms in 1938, members of the SA and NSKK destroyed the interior of the synagogue and set it on fire. Since there was a risk that the fire could spread to the neighboring buildings, the fire brigade was notified and put out the fire. The city then bought the building for 5,000 Reichsmarks , renovated it and converted it, as it was to be used as an air raid school. After 1945 it was renovated again and the false ceiling that was drawn in by the city was removed. After the building was returned to the Jewish community in 1950 as part of the restitution process , the latter sold it to a jewelry manufacturer. In 1972 the building was sold again, removed down to the foundation walls and a new building erected over it. Today a plaque on the stairs to the building, erected in 1972, reminds of the synagogue.

Jewish community of Oberstein

Jews are first mentioned in Oberstein in 1602. The Lords of Oberstein had already given Jews permission to settle in Oberstein in the 16th century. In contrast, Jews were not allowed to settle in Idar until 1794. The community, which for Landrabbinat Birkenfeld was one, had a private Jewish elementary school , however, took place in the 1895-1902 from mangling of students without classes. The community had hired a religion teacher who also took on the duties of prayer leader and shochet . The deceased were buried in the Jewish cemetery in Oberstein. In the Jewish community there was the Israelite Women's Association , the Israelite Funeral Association , the Association Against Wandering Begging , the Jewish Youth Association and a local branch of the Reich Association of Jewish Front Soldiers . From 1933, after the seizure of power of Adolf Hitler , the Jewish inhabitants were increasingly disenfranchised. In addition, there were repeated anti-Jewish actions that culminated in the November pogroms in 1938. As a result, many Jewish families left the community. Some families managed to emigrate to France , the United States , Palestine , the Netherlands , England , Switzerland or Brazil . In 1943 the last members of the Jewish community were deported.

Development of the Jewish population

year	Jews	Jewish families	comment
1750	60
1781	68
1808	44		In the district of Idar 24 Jews
1871	159		entire Oberstein mayor's office
1890	64		City of Idar-Oberstein
1900	120		City of Idar-Oberstein
1905	154		City of Idar-Oberstein
1910	192		City of Idar-Oberstein
1933	130		City of Idar-Oberstein
May 1939	61		City of Idar-Oberstein
October 1941	18th		City of Idar-Oberstein
1944	2		City of Idar-Oberstein

Source: alemannia-judaica.de; jewische-gemeinden.de

The memorial book - Victims of the Persecution of Jews under the National Socialist Tyranny 1933–1945 and the Central Database of the Names of the Holocaust Victims of Yad Vashem list 65 members of the Jewish community Oberstein and Idar (who were born there or lived there temporarily) who lived during the time the Nazis were killed.

literature

• Cilli Kasper-Holtkatte: Jews on the move. On the social history of a minority in the Saar-Mosel area around 1800. In: Helmut Castritius (Ed.), Alfred Haverkamp (Ed.), Franz Irsigler (Ed.), Stefi Jersch-Wenzel (Ed.): Research on the history of the Jews (= Research on the history of the Jews. Volume 3). Hahnsche Buchhandlung Verlag, Hanover 1996, ISBN 978-3775256124 . ( online )
• Dorothee Meigen: On the history of the Jews in Idar-Oberstein. In: Series of publications of the district adult education center Birkenfeld (= series of publications of the district community college Birkenfeld. 17/1983). District adult education center Birkenfeld, Birkenfeld 1983.
• Axel Redmer : Reichskristallnacht in Idar-Oberstein. Verlag Hans Klebes, Baumholder 1982, p. 54f.
• Axel Redmer: When the synagogue burned. The Reichspogromnacht in Idar-Oberstein. In: Axel Redmer: The sounds are not always strong (= essays on local history of the Birkenfeld district. 1993). Association for local history in the district of Birkenfeld, Baumholder 1993, pp. 97-105.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Oberstein with Idar . alemannia-judaica.de. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Idar-Oberstein (Rhineland-Palatinate) . jewische-gemeinden.de. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
3. ↑ Commemorative Book Victims of the Persecution of Jews under the National Socialist Tyranny in Germany 1933–1945 . Federal Archives. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
4. ^ Central database of the names of Holocaust victims . Yad Vashem - International Holocaust Memorial. Retrieved April 3, 2020.

Coordinates: 49 ° 42 ′ 7.6 ″  N , 7 ° 19 ′ 26.7 ″  E