Graefenhausen

Summary: The Jewish congregation of Graefenhausen, with which the communities of Weiterstadt and Wixhausen were affiliated, was itself affiliated with the Orthodox rabbinate in Darmstadt II. Jews worked as butchers and textile merchants, and the records mention a Jewish-owned grocery. In 1699, a Jew named Abraham purchased a house on Langgasse which, beginning in 1855, served as a synagogue; the synagogue accommodated 56 seats (36 for men, 20 for women) and, on the ground floor, a mikveh. According to records, the synagogue was renovated in 1914 and in 1927. Beginning in 1900, Graefenhausen’s Jewish population decreased steadily. Although Jewish children attended Christian schools, they were able, until 1914, to study religion with a teacher of religious studies. Many Jews immigrated to non- European countries after 1933, and others settled in Frankfurt am Main. Graefenhausen’s last Jew left in 1942. On Pogrom Night, SA men from Starkenburg vandalized Jewishowned property; furniture from the synagogue on Langgasse was smashed into pieces, and ritual objects were thrown onto the street. The synagogue was eventually demolished. At least 27 Graefenhausen Jews perished in the Shoah. In 1983, a small memorial was unveiled at the former synagogue site.

Author / Sources: Swetlana Frank
Sources: AJ, DJGH, EJL, FJG, LJG, SIA, SIH