Buttenwiesen
General information: First Jewish presence: 1599; peak Jewish population: 344 in 1867 (64.8% of the total population); Jewish population in 1933: 73
Summary: The Jews of Buttenwiesen established a cemetery
in 1633 and a synagogue, their first, in 1630. This
synagogue was heavily damaged by fire in 1852;
accordingly, the modern community dedicated
a new house of worship in 1857. (A mikveh was
constructed in a separate building.) The community’s
Jewish school, opened at the start of the 19th century,
became an elementary school in 1846; in 1932, as a
result of declining enrollment, the school was closed
(sold in 1937).
A chevra kadisha, a women’s association, a
charitable society and a branch of the Central
Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith
were still active in Buttenwiesen in 1933. In April
1938, a Jewish businessman committed suicide
after police searched his home and confiscated his
account books.
On Pogrom Night, the synagogue’s interior was
destroyed. The cemetery was vandalized, as were
Jewish homes and businesses. Eight Jewish men
were deported to Dachau.
Thirteen local Jews emigrated, 14 relocated
within Germany and two died in Buttenwiesen.
Thirty-seven Jews, the town’s last, were deported
to Piaski (via Munich) in April 1942. At least
117 Buttenwiesen Jews perished in the Shoah.
The synagogue building at the Schulplatz (school
square) survived the war. A memorial plaque was
unveiled there in 1995.
Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AJ, EJL, PK-BAV, SG-B
Sources: AJ, EJL, PK-BAV, SG-B
Located in: bavaria