Emden
General information: First Jewish presence: 16th century; peak Jewish population: 809 in 1905; Jewish population in 1933: 581
Summary: Although the first Jews to live in Emden were Sephardim,
the Jewish community that later developed was mainly
Ashkenazi. In 1905, the year in which the community
recorded a peak population figure, most members were cattle
and used-goods traders, butchers, moneylenders, merchants
and physicians. Emden, which always had its own rabbi, eventually
became the district rabbinate. In 1836, the community
replaced its synagogue (on Judenstrasse or “Jews’ Street”)
with a new building; it was enlarged in 1910 to include a
mikveh, as well as 320 seats for men and 250 for women. A
Jewish school was established near the synagogue in 1845,
prior to which children were either tutored privately or
attended a charity school.
Emden Jews maintained numerous Jewish associations:
six charities, 16 smaller associations
and sick funds, a home for the elderly,
a women’s association, youth clubs
and literary circles. The chevra kadisha
and Talmud Torah Association
were founded in 1661 and 1896,
respectively. Jews were also active in
local trade associations.
When the Nazis came to power in
1933, 581 Jews still lived in the town;
the Nazis’ anti-Semitic legislation was
immediately enforced.
On Pogrom Night, SA men
burned down the synagogue; some
ritual objects were stolen, others
were saved. Jewish properties were
vandalized and looted, Jews were
arrested and publicly humiliated, and
one man was killed. We also know that Jewish men were
deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp that
night, where two died.
Today, several memorials and plaques commemorate
more than 400 years of Jewish history in Emden.
At least 465 Jews from Emden died in the Shoah.
Photo: The synagogue of Emden in the 1920s after its renovation in 1910. Courtesy of: City Archive of Emden.
Photo 2: The burning synagogue of Emden on the night of November 9, 1938. Courtesy of: City Archive of Emden.
Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AH, HU, JG NB1, SIA
Sources: AH, HU, JG NB1, SIA
Located in: lower-saxony