Ihringen

General information: First Jewish presence: 1716; peak Jewish population: 263 in 1852; Jewish population in 1933: 98
Summary: This Jewish community established a prayer hall (in a private residence) in 1738, a synagogue in 1761, a cemetery in 1810 and a school in the late 1820s or early 1830s, which was closed in 1876. In 1863/64, local Jews inaugurated a new synagogue with 72 seats for men, 72 for women and 35-40 for children. Ihringen was also had a mikveh. In 1933, a teacher/chazzan instructed six schoolchildren in religion. The community maintained a men’s fund for the sick, a women’s association and a charity fund. Jewish children were expelled from the local school in 1936, after which they traveled to Freiburg for their schooling. The synagogue was incinerated on Pogrom Night. Jews were forced to watch, and several men were deported to Dachau. Thirty-two Jews were forcibly evacuated from Ihringen when war broke out, of whom 13 returned when the explusion order was revoked. By 1940, 30 had emigrated, 47 had relocated within Germany and nine had died in Ihringen. The last 12, all elderly, were deported to Gurs on October 22, 1940. At least 56 Ihringen Jews perished in the Shoah. In 1980, a memorial stone was unveiled at the former synagogue’s site; a monument was later constructed there. The cemetery was desecrated in 1952, 1990 and 2007.
Photo: The synagogue of Ihringen in 1896. Courtesy of: State Archive of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Karlsruhe.
Author / Sources: Rachel Borut
Sources: AJ, EJL, PK-BW
Located in: baden-wuerttemberg