Argenschwang
First Jewish presence: mid-14th century; peak Jewish population: 66 in 1858 (14% of total population); Jewish population in 1933: unknown (29 in 1932)
The Jewish community of this small township, founded by cattle dealers, horse dealers and butchers, established its communal institutions during the early 19th century. These included a cemetery (1870), a Jewish school, a synagogue and a mikveh. The sites for these institutions were acquired in the 18th century, and rebuilt in the rustic style of the period during the ensuing decades. On Pogrom Night, Argenschwang’s synagogue and remaining Jewish-owned business and homes were broken into and damaged heavily. Those Jews who could not escape were deported during the war years. The synagogue’s exterior, today a protected site, was saved from destruction, possibly through the intervention of a Gentile villager. A memorial plaque has been affixed to the building, now a warehouse.Harold Slutzkin
Copyright: Pogrom Night 1938 - A Memorial to the Destroyed Synagogues of Germany/ Germansynagogues.com
Notes
Sources: Lexikon der jüdischen Gemeinde in Deutschen Sprachraum, Klaus Dieter-Alicke, [publisher] Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 2008., “und dies ist die Pforte des Himmels”: Synagogen Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland, Will Schmid, Stefan Fischbach and Ingrid Westerhoff [Eds.], publication initiated by Joachim Glatz and Meier Schwarz, [publisher] Phillipp Von Zabern, 2005.
Details
| Date Added | Apr 07, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Category | Residential |
| Country | DE |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| City | Argenschwang |
| Exhibits | Pogrom Night 1938 - A Memorial to the Destroyed Synagogues of Germany |
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