Buttenwiesen

Summary: The Jews of Buttenwiesen established a cemetery in 1633 and a synagogue, their first, in 1630. This synagogue was heavily damaged by fire in 1852; accordingly, the modern community dedicated a new house of worship in 1857. (A mikveh was constructed in a separate building.) The community’s Jewish school, opened at the start of the 19th century, became an elementary school in 1846; in 1932, as a result of declining enrollment, the school was closed (sold in 1937). A chevra kadisha, a women’s association, a charitable society and a branch of the Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith were still active in Buttenwiesen in 1933. In April 1938, a Jewish businessman committed suicide after police searched his home and confiscated his account books. On Pogrom Night, the synagogue’s interior was destroyed. The cemetery was vandalized, as were Jewish homes and businesses. Eight Jewish men were deported to Dachau. Thirteen local Jews emigrated, 14 relocated within Germany and two died in Buttenwiesen. Thirty-seven Jews, the town’s last, were deported to Piaski (via Munich) in April 1942. At least 117 Buttenwiesen Jews perished in the Shoah. The synagogue building at the Schulplatz (school square) survived the war. A memorial plaque was unveiled there in 1995.

Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AJ, EJL, PK-BAV, SG-B