Landstuhl

Summary: Jews lived in Landstuhl during the Middle Ages. We do not know when exactly they settled there, but we do know that they were expelled in the 16th century. Resettlement began in 1868 with the return of one Jewish family, after which a Jewish community was founded. The community conducted services in a prayer room, located in a private residence, at 38 Kanalstrasse; this house was later renovated to include an apartment and a barn. In 1900, a Jewish section was established in the local cemetery. On Pogrom Night, SA men set the synagogue on fire, but not before confiscating the ritual objects and transferring them to the local police station; Jewish homes and stores were destroyed. By the time the violence subsided, the prayer room’s interior had been completely ravaged. On October 21-22, 1940, Landstuhl’s last seven ablebodied Jews were deported to the Gurs concentration camp in France. At least 16 Landstuhl Jews perished in the Shoah. The house on Kanalstrasse, which survived the pogrom and later served as a residence, was renovated several times in the years 1978 to 1986.

Author / Sources: Bronagh Bowerman
Sources: AJ, EJL, HU, SG-RPS, SIA, YV