Luexheim

General information: First Jewish presence: probably in the 19th century; peak Jewish pop.: 50 in 1850 (approximately 15% of the total pop.); pop. in 1933: approx.40
Summary: Although records reveal very little about the early days of this tiny Jewish community, we do know that between 40 and 50 Jews had settled there by the mid-19th century, constituting 15% of the town’s total population. Jews from Mueddersheim, Noervenich, Hochkirchen and Gladbach were members of the Luexheim synagogue community. According to records, the community inaugurated a synagogue on Nikolaistrasse in 1893. On Pogrom Night, local Nazis destroyed the synagogue’s interior and plundered its inventory, after which they burned down a section of the building. The fate of those Jews who still lived in Luexheim in 1938 remains unknown. Luexheim is no longer home to a Jewish community. The synagogue building has been rebuilt, and now accommodates a carpenter’s shop. As of this writing, a memorial has never been erected in Luexheim.
Author / Sources: Benjamin Rosendahl
Sources: LJG, SG-NRW, YV