Venningen
General information: First Jewish presence: 1707; peak Jewish population: 78 in 1875; Jewish population in 1933: unknown (29 in 1932)
Summary: In 1847, Venningen’s Jewish community established a
synagogue in a former inn at 5 Schafsgasse (formerly
15 Schafsgasse); the building, which was renovated in 1868,
housed a schoolroom, a teacher’s apartment and a mikveh.
A Jewish cemetery was consecrated on Kirrweiler Strasse in
1887, near the Christian cemetery. The Jews of Kirrweiler
and Altdorf were affiliated with the Venningen community
in 1894 and 1916, respectively.
On Pogrom Night, the interior of Venningen’s synagogue
was destroyed, after which all but one Jewish couple either
emigrated from or relocated within Germany. On October
22, 1942, the town’s two remaining Jews were deported to the
Gurs concentration camp in France. At least 13 Venningen
Jews perished in the Shoah.
Between 1942 and 1945, POWs were housed in the
former synagogue. The building was returned to the regional Jewish community in 1950; in 1952, the community sold
the property to a tailor who subsequently converted it into
a residence. A memorial plaque was unveiled at the site in
1990.
Author / Sources: Esther Sarah Evans
Sources: AJ, EJL, SG-RPS
www.christen-und-juden.de
Sources: AJ, EJL, SG-RPS
www.christen-und-juden.de
Located in: rhineland-palatinate