Stavenhagen

General information: First Jewish population: mid-1700s; peak Jewish population: 32 in 1910; Jewish population in 1933: 10
Summary: Jews might have lived in Stavenhagen before the 18th century, but the first record of their presence there is from the mid- 1700s. In the early 1800s, the community built a modest synagogue, a community center (alongside the synagogue) and a small cemetery. When the synagogue in nearby Malchin was closed down due to inadequate membership, the two communities merged. On Pogrom Night, the Stavenhagen synagogue and the town’s two remaining Jewish-owned businesses were destroyed. Due to its proximity to other homes, the synagogue was not set on fire. Instead, the SS headed for the cemetery, where they burned down the chapel and desecrated headstones. In early 1939, the synagogue building was appropriated by a furniture manufacturer who used it as a warehouse; it was, however, later abandoned when it became severely dilapidated. As of this writing, a memorial plaque has never been unveiled at the site, now an empty lot. The municipality of Stavenhagen, however, is planning a proper memorial.
Author / Sources: Moshe Finkel
Sources: EJL, LJG, SIA