Opladen
General information: First Jewish presence: 1820; peak Jewish population: 45 in 1910; Jewish population in 1933: 38
Summary: The history of Jewish Opladen is rather short, as it was not
until 1820 that Jews began to settle in the town; for many
years, the Jewish population was limited to a few families.
The Jewish cemetery, originally owned by one family, became
public property in 1850. The community built a small
synagogue on the corner of Altstadtstrasse and Lessingstrasse
in 1879, and we also know that the synagogue district of
Opladen and the Jewish surrounding communities was
formed in the mid-19th century.
In 1933, the Nazi Party called for the boycott
of Jewish-owned stores and businesses. Party
members prevented customers in Opladen from
entering these stores and publicly ridiculed those
who continued to do so.
On Pogrom Night, “unknown persons” broke
the synagogue’s windows and destroyed its interior.
The building was burned down the following day.
Twenty-nine Opladen Jews died in
concentration camps; five committed suicide.
One Jewish woman was hidden by a neighbor
and survived.
The synagogue arsonists were tried after the
war. In 1963 a memorial was unveiled at the
former synagogue site, renamed Platz der Synagoge
(“synagogue square”).
Photo: The synagogue of Opladen, today Leverkusen, in 1934. Courtesy of: Rene Boosen/ City Archive of Leverkusen.
Author / Sources: Ruth Martina Trucks
Sources: EJL, LJG, SG-NRW
Sources: EJL, LJG, SG-NRW
Located in: north-rhine-westphalia