Gotha

Summary: The history of Jewish Gotha is one of expulsions and returns. We know that Jews lived in Gotha at the start of the 13th century, as records tell us they were expelled in 1212. In 1303, in response to a blood libel rumor, Jews were again expelled from the town. This was followed, fifty years later, by the Black Death massacres. Expelled once again in 1503, Jews were not permitted to return to Gotha until 1768. The modern Jewish community of Gotha, founded in the mid-1800s, established a prayer room, a cemetery and a school. In order to accommodate the growing community, services were moved to a large hall, because the law prohibited the construction of a synagogue. In early 1900, after much cajoling, Jews were granted permission to build a synagogue, inaugurated in 1904; the ceremony was attended by many local dignitaries. Nazi incitement was widespread in Gotha even before 1933, with Jews harassed and their businesses boycotted. In 1931, the city council voted to outlaw kosher slaughterhouses. Emigration accelerated to such an extent that by 1935 the Jewish population of Gotha had dropped to 147 (from 350 just five years earlier). On Pogrom Night, the synagogue was plundered and burned down in front of a cheering crowd; the fire department, in fact, was commended for containing the fire to the synagogue. The building was later torn down at the Jewish community’s expense. A memorial plaque was later unveiled at the synagogue site.

Author / Sources: Moshe Finkel
Sources: DJKT, EJL, LJG, SIA