Harburg

General information: First Jewish presence: 14th century; peak Jewish population: 360 in 1834; Jewish population in 1933: 13
Summary: The Jews of Harburg began using a prayer room, located in a private house, in the 17th century. The community established a cemetery (together with nearby Jewish communities) in 1671; a synagogue at 8 Egelseestrasse in 1720; and a new synagogue and mikveh, built on the same plot of land on Egelseestrasse, in 1754. Harburg’s Jewish elementary school (1828-1888), located at 15 Egelseestrasse, limited its curriculum to religious studies. After the last teacher left in 1925, Jewish schoolchildren studied religion with a teacher from Noerdlingen. The community was disbanded in 1936, after which Harburg’s remaining Jews were affiliated with the community in Noerdlingen; accordingly, the synagogue’s Torah scrolls and ritual objects were transferred there. On Pogrom Night, local residents plundered the synagogue. Later, in 1939, the building was handed over to the Red Cross and subsequently used as a storage facility. During the Nazi period, six Harburg Jews emigrated, three died in Harburg and four relocated within Germany (including three, the last, who were forcibly moved to Augsburg in July 1939). At least 13 Harburg Jews perished in the Shoah. The synagogue building served as a cultural center (1989- 1991) before being sold to a physician. Memorial plaques were unveiled near several former Jewish homes.
Author / Sources: Esther Sarah Evans
Sources: AJ, PK BAV
Located in: bavaria