Storndorf

Summary: The Jewish community of Storndorf was founded in 1750. Earlier in the century, a synagogue (replacing a prayer room) was inaugurated at 13 Volkenroeder Strasse; although the synagogue was enlarged in 1830, it closed down in 1885 due to concerns about the structural safety of the building. In 1887, a new, two-story synagogue, which also housed a mikveh and a school, was inaugurated in Storndorf. The Jewish cemetery, located near Galgenberg, was consecrated in the second half of the 18th century. In 1933, 28 Jews still lived in Storndorf; all had left by September 1939. Nevertheless, the synagogue’s interior was destroyed on Pogrom Night (November 1938); Torah scrolls, ritual objects and the community’s documents and records were burned. Jewish homes were severely damaged, an elderly man was assaulted, and all Jewish men were sent to Buchenwald. Two weeks later, a group of men broke into the house of a Jewish family and raped the young daughter. At least 46 Storndorf Jews perished in the Shoah. The synagogue went into private ownership in 1939, after which the building was converted into a residence. As of this writing, a memorial plaque has never been erected there.

Author / Sources: Heike Zaun Goshen
Sources: AH, AJ, EJL, PK H
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