Schweich
General information: First Jewish presence: 1639; peak Jewish population: 144 in 1863; Jewish population in 1933: 91
Summary: The Schweich synagogue, first mentioned in 1820 and
located on the corner of Richtstrasse and Bahnhofstrasse,
replaced an 18th-century prayer room; the congregation (for
whom there were 25-30 seats) conducted services on the
upper floor, as the lower floor housed a schoolroom. In 1852,
the community inaugurated a new synagogue on Richtstrasse
(renovated in 1886), but records do not tell us much about
its architectural style or seating capacity. Schweich’s Jewish
cemetery, consecrated in 1776, was located on Kurfuerstliche
Acht.
In 1933, 91 Jews lived in Schweich. Fifteen pupils
attended the Jewish elementary school, and a chevra kadisha,
a women’s association and a youth group were active in the
community. Most Jews left Schweich during the next few
years, so that by 1939 only 14 Jews remained in the town.
On Pogrom Night, axe-wielding rioters desecrated the
cemetery and destroyed the synagogue’s windows, interior
and ritual objects. Sold to a farmer in 1940, the synagogue
later housed prisoners of war.
In October 1941, the town’s remaining five Jews were
deported to the East. At least 65 Schweich Jews perished
in the Shoah. The synagogue was used as a warehouse after 1951. In
1984, however, the town bought and renovated the building;
and in 1989 it was reopened as a cultural center, near the
entrance to which a memorial stone has been unveiled.
Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AH, AJ, EJL
Sources: AH, AJ, EJL
Located in: rhineland-palatinate