Marienburg
General information: First Jewish presence: 1815; peak Jewish population: 337 in 1871; Jewish population in 1932/33: 170
Summary: Jewish families settled in Marienburg in 1814/15, shortly
after which they formed a community. The town’s Jewish
population increased during the second half of the 19th
century, peaking at 337 in 1871.
The Jews of Marienburg consecrated a synagogue and a
cemetery in 1830. Later, in 1897/98, the community built
a new synagogue on Schulgasse (or “school alley” – school
meaning “synagogue”); it was inaugurated in August 1898.
A local Jew was appointed to the city council in 1864. Other
prominent Marienburg Jews include Heinz Galinski (born in
1912), a Marienburg native who served as the president of the
Central Council of Jews in Germany from 1988 to 1992. We
also know that the Association of East Prussian Communities,
an organization that aided Eastern European Jews, opened an
office in Marienburg in the early 20th century. In 1932/33, Marienburg was home to 170 Jews; 18
schoolchildren received religious instruction from a teacher
who also served as chazzan. Active in the community were
a Jewish women’s association (founded in 1926), a nursing
association, a burial society, a youth group, a literature
club, and, finally, a local branch of the Reich Federation
of Jewish Front Soldiers.
The synagogue was burned down on Pogrom Night
(November 1938). By May of that year, only 33 Jews still
lived in Marienburg. According to records, 31 local Jews
were murdered in the Shoah.
Photo: A group of school pupils posing in front of the synagogue of Marienburg in or around the year 1900. Courtesy of: Unknown.
Author / Sources: Heidemarie Wawrzyn
Sources: EJL, FJG, LJG
Located in: posen-west-prussia