Duisburg-Hamborn
General information: First Jewish presence: 1893; peak Jewish population: 818 in 1925; Jewish population in 1933: 685
Summary:
It was not until 1893 that a Jewish presence was established
in Hamborn (which was joined with the city of Duisburg in
1929). When, in 1899, the Jewish community numbered 51
members, attempts were made to build a synagogue. Stymied
by city officials who refused to grant the necessary
permits, the community decided, instead, to
abandon the idea and set up a prayer room in a
private residence.
In 1905, local Jews were permitted to take over
a vacant Evangelical church on Kaiser-Friedrich-
Strasse, which they renovated and converted into
a synagogue. Several years later, the community
purchased a property on which they planned to
build a new synagogue; forced to abandon the plan
when the economy plummeted and the likelihood
of war increased, local Jews decided to refurbish the
synagogue on Kaiser-Friedrich-Strasse.
The Orthodox members of the community
built their own synagogue on Kaiser- Willhelm-
Strasse. Membership there increased quickly, and
the congregation was forced to rent an auditorium
to accommodate those who wished to attend High
Holiday services.
Although the synagogue on Kaiser-Friedrich-
Strasse was sold (on November 1, 1938) to a private
citizen who intended to convert the building into
apartments, the SS nevertheless incinerated the
house of worship on Pogrom Night, undeterred
by the fact that its new owner was a German citizen.
A memorial plaque was unveiled at the site in 1988.
We do not know what happened to the
synagogue on Kaiser-Wilhelm-Strasse.
Author / Sources: Moshe Finkel
Sources: LJG, SG-NRW, SIA
Sources: LJG, SG-NRW, SIA
Located in: north-rhine-westphalia