Poppelsdorf

Summary: In 1685, six Jewish families lived in Poppelsdorf, all of whom had received letters of protection from the authorities. Only 42 Jews lived there in 1808, but the community later grew as a result of tolerant French policies and the proximity of Bonn, whose administrative district the Jews of Poppelsdorf joined in 1809. In 1902, the community established a new synagogue. We also know that burials were conducted in Endenich. Beginning in 1932, as a result of Nazi persecution, community membership declined markedly. Although the community was dissolved in 1936, the synagogue remained in use. On Pogrom Night, rioters set the building on fire, destroying all but its outer walls. A memorial tablet was later unveiled at the site, now a vacant plot. By 1941, the remaining Jews of Poppelsdorf had been deported, along with those from the adjacent community of Bonn.

Author / Sources: Harold Slutzkin
Sources: LJG, SIA, SG-NRW