Landstuhl
General information: First Jewish presence: unknown; peak Jewish population: 81 in 1925; Jewish population in 1933: 61
Summary: Jews lived in Landstuhl during the Middle Ages. We do not
know when exactly they settled there, but we do know that
they were expelled in the 16th century. Resettlement began
in 1868 with the return of one Jewish family, after which a
Jewish community was founded.
The community conducted services in a prayer room,
located in a private residence, at 38 Kanalstrasse; this house
was later renovated to include an apartment and a barn. In
1900, a Jewish section was established in the local cemetery.
On Pogrom Night, SA men set the synagogue on fire, but
not before confiscating the ritual objects and transferring
them to the local police station; Jewish homes and stores
were destroyed. By the time the violence subsided, the prayer
room’s interior had been completely ravaged.
On October 21-22, 1940, Landstuhl’s last seven ablebodied
Jews were deported to the Gurs concentration camp
in France. At least 16 Landstuhl Jews perished in the Shoah.
The house on Kanalstrasse, which survived the pogrom
and later served as a residence, was renovated several times
in the years 1978 to 1986.
Author / Sources: Bronagh Bowerman
Sources: AJ, EJL, HU, SG-RPS, SIA, YV
Sources: AJ, EJL, HU, SG-RPS, SIA, YV
Located in: rhineland-palatinate