Gemen
General information: First Jewish presence: 16th century; peak Jewish population: 40 in 1880s; Jewish population in 1933: 39
Summary:
Jews settled in Gemen after their expulsion from the
archbishopric of Muenster in 1560. The community
established a prayer room at 92 Loewenstein (a residence)
in the early 19th century; although the house was destroyed
by fire in 1864, it was quickly rebuilt and used for another
50 years.
In 1912, an Art Nouveau-style synagogue of Orthodox
orientation was inaugurated on Ahauserstrasse. Other
communal institutions included a mikveh (located in a
private residence on Rohrig) and a Jewish cemetery on Otto-
Hahn-Strasse, the latter of which was consecrated in 1810.
In 1935, during a synagogue service, worshippers were
attacked by Austrian members of the Nazi Party who were
stationed near Gemen. On Pogrom Night (November 1938),
SA men set the synagogue on fire, destroying the interior and
roof. The ruins were demolished in 1943.
By 1939, 32 Jews had left Gemen. According to records,
26 local Jews perished in the Shoah. A memorial stone was
unveiled at the former synagogue site in 1988.
Oskar Loewenstein, co-founder of the Association for
the Safeguarding of Traditional Judaism in Westphalia, was
a native of Gemen.
Author / Sources: Beate Grosz-Wenker
Sources: EJL, SG-NRW
Sources: EJL, SG-NRW
Located in: north-rhine-westphalia