Woerth am Ma

Summary: The Jewish community of Woerth built a synagogue at 2 Hintergasse in 1889. During the early 20th century, Jewish schoolchildren from Woerth, Klingenberg am Main and Hofstetten studied religion in Klingenberg. The Woerth community buried its dead in Reistenhausen, in a cemetery belonging to the Jewish community of Fechenbach. Two Jewish children studied religion with a teacher from Mellrichstadt in 1933. In 1935, members of the Hitler Youth covered the town’s Jewish homes with tar. The synagogue was destroyed on Pogrom Night, as were its contents and ritual objects. Jewish residents were abused, and their houses were ransacked and looted. In February 1939, windows were smashed in the homes of the three remaining Jewish families. During the Nazi period, six Woerth Jews left the country (five immigrated to the United States), nine relocated within Germany and one died in Woerth. An 83-year-old Jewish woman was deported to Theresienstadt in September 1942. Another Jewish woman, who was married to a Christian, remained in the town. At least four Jews originally from Woerth perished in the Shoah. The synagogue’s ruins were later cleared. The site is now a parking lot.

Author / Sources: Nurit Borut
Sources: AJ, EJL, FJG, PK-BAV, SZJLB