Dillingen an der Saar
General information: First Jewish presence: 1800; peak Jewish population: unknown; Jewish population in 1933: 135
Summary:
The Jews of Dillingen belonged to the Diefflen community
until 1929, when Dillingen became an independent Jewish
community. In 1927, 122 Jews lived in Dillingen.
During the mid-19th century, local Jews attended synagogue
services in Diefflen. Services were later conducted in a private
residence, but we do not know when the community decided
to congregate there. Records do tell us, however, that a proper
synagogue was inaugurated in Dillingen in 1924.
In 1933, 27 schoolchildren studied religion under the
guidance of a teacher/chazzan. Three charity associations
were active in the community, with
which the Jews of Nalbach and Pachtlen
were affiliated.
In December 1934, a Jewish councilman
was voted out of office on the pretext that
he had missed some meetings. Most Jews
left Dillingen after the Saarland region was
incorporated into the German Reich in
1935, and the community was disbanded
later that year, when only 11 Jews of voting
age still lived in the town.
On Pogrom Night, the synagogue
was burned down, the remaining 14
Jews were assaulted, one of whom was
brutally beaten with a hammer, and
Jewish homes were vandalized. A Jewish
piano merchant was forced to watch
hammer-wielding rioters destroy his pianos, after which his
home and business were destroyed.
Author / Sources: Nurit Borut
Sources: EJL, DGJS, FJG
Sources: EJL, DGJS, FJG
Located in: saarland