Sinzenich

Summary: Sinzenich, home to a Jewish community from 1750 onwards, merged with the Jewish communities of Zuelpich (in 1848) and Kommern (in 1870). The Kommern and Sinzenich communities separated from Zuelpich in 1908 and 1913, respectively, but the three communities were reunited in 1919. The Jews of Sinzenich conducted services in a prayer room until 1869, when a synagogue was established at 12 Am Bach; it is assumed that the kosher slaughterhouse was located in the same building. The town’s Jewish cemetery dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. Although the exact size of the Jewish community of 1933 is not known, the fact that the synagogue was still in use suggests that the Jewish population was considerable. The synagogue, Jewish-owned businesses and Jewish homes were looted on Pogrom Night; prayer books were thrown into the river. Gravestones from the cemetery were knocked down, and we also know that an attempt, ultimately unsuccessful, was made to burn down the synagogue. On July 14, 1942, all local Jews were deported, officially to Bonn-Endenich, but most likely to the Warsaw ghetto, from where they were deported to the camps. According to the records at Yad Vashem, at least 44 Jews from Sinzenich died in the Shoah. The synagogue building is now a private residence. As of this writing, a memorial has never been unveiled in Sinzenich.

Author / Sources: Benjamin Rosendahl
Sources: SG-NRW, YV
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