Oelde
General information: First Jewish presence: 1570; peak Jewish population: 84 in 1861; Jewish population in 1933: unknown (41 in 1932)
Summary: In 1740, Oelde’s few Jews leased—for use as a prayer hall—a
plot of land on which stood a small house. Later, in 1829, the
community inaugurated a purpose-built synagogue, after which
the house was converted into schoolrooms and lodgings for the
teacher. We also know that the community maintained, albeit
intermittently, a private Jewish school until 1922, by which
point the student body had diminished to such an extent that
it was no longer viable to keep the school open.
On Pogrom Night, the interior of the synagogue was
vandalized and its ritual objects strewn on the street. The building
itself was not destroyed, as it had already been appropriated
by the local authorities and “aryanized.” Rebuilt in 1940 as
a business complex, the building is used in that capacity to
this day. A memorial plaque has been affixed to the structure.
Very few Jews remained in Oelde after Pogrom Night.
Those who did were deported; it is unlikely that any survived.
Author / Sources: Harold Slutzkin
Sources: LJG, SIA
Sources: LJG, SIA
Located in: north-rhine-westphalia