Kirchhain
General information: First Jewish presence: 17th century; peak Jewish population: 221 in 1910 (over 9% of the total population); Jewish population in 1933: approx. 200
Summary: By 1910, the year in which the community recorded
its peak membership figure, most local Jews had
established themselves as traders and merchants (of
cattle, grain, skins, wood and textiles).
In 1743, a Jewish cemetery was consecrated on
Roetheweg; it was enlarged in 1860, again in 1880
and once again in or around 1923. We do not know
when the community established its prayer room, but records
do tell us that it was moved to a private residence near the
marketplace in 1811, where, it is presumed, services were
conducted until the establishment of a synagogue in 1904
(on Niederrheinische Strasse). The adjacent community
center housed a mikveh, a school and an apartment for a
teacher who served as shochet and chazzan. Kirchhain’s Jewish
community, home to several prominent academics, also
maintained a Jewish women’s association and two charitable
organizations.
In 1933, approximately 200 Jews lived in Kirchhain,
many of whom emigrated from or relocated within Germany
during the following years.
On Pogrom Night, rioters desecrated the cemetery, after
which the town expropriated the site. Jewish property was
plundered, Jews were assaulted and the synagogue’s interior
was destroyed and burned down. Later, in 1941 and 1942,
the remaining Jews were deported. At least 67 local Jews
perished in the Shoah.
Kirchhain’s synagogue building was used as a storage
site during the war. In 1945, a section was torn down
and replaced by a commercial building; the other section
was renovated into a residential unit. The neighboring
community center was also pulled down, and the site now
accommodates a parking lot. At the synagogue site, part
of which was eventually restored, a memorial plaque was
unveiled in 1988.
Photo: The synagogue of Kirchhain. Courtesy of: Unknown.
Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AH, AJ, EJL
ph-heidelberg.de/
Sources: AH, AJ, EJL
ph-heidelberg.de/
Located in: hesse