Schlochau

Summary: In 1466, when West Prussia became part of Poland, many Jewish families moved into villages surrounding the town of Schlochau (present-day Czluchow, Poland), the only town that allowed Jews inside its walls. As a result, the Jewish community of Schlochau was the oldest in the region. Schlochau was reincorporated into West Prussia in the 18th century. In the late 1880s, at which point nearly 500 Jews lived in Schlochau, the community inaugurated a new synagogue, replacing a 16th-century structure. Anti-Jewish violence and discrimination were common in Schlochau during the early 20th century: the synagogue was desecrated, and Jewish-owned businesses were boycotted. By 1938, Schlochau was home to very few Jewish-owned businesses. The synagogue, however, was torched on Pogrom Night, and Jewish men were sent to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. In the spring of 1940, the town’s few remaining Jews were interned in Schneidemuehl, from where they were subsequently deported. Most were murdered.

Author / Sources: Fred Gottlieb
Sources: EJL, LJG