Goettingen

Summary: Although we do not know how many Jews lived in Goettingen in the 14th century, records do tell us that the town was then home to a synagogue. The modern Jewish community of Goettingen emerged in the 17th century. Most local Jews were merchants or moneylenders, and we also know that some became academics as early as the 18th century. The 18th-century community maintained a synagogue and a school—the latter of which was presided over by a teacher who also served as chazzan and shochet—in a rented building on Buchstrasse (present-day Prinzenstrasse). The cemetery on Leineberg (present-day Groninger Landstrasse) was consecrated in 1701. In 1872, the community built a new synagogue on Obere/Untere Maschstrasse; later, in 1895, the building’s seating capacity was increased from 200 to 450. The community also maintained a mikveh (built on Rote Strasse in 1899), a chevra kadisha, an historical society, B’nai B’rith lodges (one for men, the other for women) and a branch of the Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith. At the local university, several Jewish student organizations were active. In 1933, in response to anti-Semitic demonstrations and attacks, many Jews left Goettingen. On Pogrom Night (November 1938), Jewish property was vandalized and plundered; the synagogue was set on fire, after which the ruins were pulled down. Local Jews were arrested, the men imprisoned. In 1940, the remaining Jews were forcibly moved into designated houses from which most were deported between 1942 and 1945. A new Jewish community emerged in Goettingen after the war. Today, a trade union building stands on the former synagogue site. Several plaques and a memorial commemorate the community. At least 170 Goettingen Jews died in the Shoah.

Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AH, HU, JG NB1, SIA
www.wiki-goettingen.de