Haltern
General information: First Jewish presence: early 16th century; peak Jewish population: 76 in 1840; Jewish population in 1933: 30
Summary:
In Haltern, Jewish settlement began in earnest in the early
1700s. In 1703, local Jews purchased a house and converted
it into a synagogue; the condition of the house deteriorated
with each passing year, and the building was declared
uninhabitable in 1859. The community accordingly
purchased a new site and commenced construction work
on a new synagogue, which was inaugurated on August
24, 1860. (During the construction period, the older,
dilapidated building was temporarily repaired, enabling
the community to pray there until the completion of the
new synagogue.)
The Jews of Haltern suffered anti-Semitic violence long
before Pogrom Night: Jewish homes were defaced with
anti-Semitic slogans, and the synagogue was vandalized
on several occasions. Although the synagogue was nearly
defunct by 1938, Nazis nevertheless wrecked its interior
and burned its contents on Pogrom Night.
The building was destroyed in a bombing raid in 1945. At
the site, now a garden, a memorial plaque has been unveiled.
Author / Sources: Moshe Finkel
Sources: EJL, LJG, SG-NRW, SIA
Sources: EJL, LJG, SG-NRW, SIA
Located in: north-rhine-westphalia