Haaren

Summary: The Jewish population of this small village never exceeded fifty, with the majority of Jews engaged in farming and cattle trading. A proper synagogue was never established in Haaren, for the community was always small; instead, the Jews made do with small prayer rooms in private houses. The last known prayer room, established in 1936 in the home of the Emmerich family, served the community until it was demolished on Pogrom Night. The only available report about the events of Pogrom Night in Haaren tells us that Nazis entered the home, proceeded to the prayer room, threw its contents onto the street and set them on fire. The furniture, including the small makeshift ark, was smashed. It should be noted that by 1939 no Jews remained in Haaren. Today, the house in which the prayer room was located is the official residence of Haaren’s Catholic priest.

Author / Sources: Moshe Finkel
Sources: EJL, LJG, SG-NRW, SIA