Luebbecke

Summary: Although Jewish merchants did business in Luebbecke before the 18th century, it was only then that a permanent Jewish presence was established there. Religious services were conducted in several locations, namely, in the Isaac residence (1725) and in a rented room in a local inn. In 1854, the community purchased a commercial building and converted it into a synagogue; among the synagogue’s contents were two Torah scrolls and a valuable Hanukkah candelabra. Heavily damaged during the fire of 1897, the synagogue was thoroughly renovated. We also know that Jewish burials were conducted quite a distance away from Luebbecke until 1860, when the community purchased a burial site next to the local Christian cemetery. According to records, a Jewish sisterhood was active in Luebbecke. On Pogrom Night, the synagogue was burned down in front of a large crowd of spectators; local firemen protected the neighboring structures from the blaze. Jewish stores and homes were vandalized, soon after which the synagogue’s ruins were removed. Those Luebbecke Jews who did not manage to flee Germany—most local Jews left before Pogrom Night— perished in the camps. Today, a memorial stone and plaque commemorate Luebbecke’s last Jewish families.

Author / Sources: Ruth Martina Trucks
Sources: EJL, FJG, LJG, SG-NRW