Niederweidbach

Summary: The Jewish community of Niederweidbach, many members of which were cattle traders, presumably developed in the 18th century. By 1842, local Jews had inaugurated a synagogue at 23 Hauptstrasse, providing 29 seats for men and 14 for women; Jews from Mudersbach and Altenkirchen attended services at the Niederweidbach synagogue. Other communal institutions included a school for religious studies, a mikveh and a cemetery, the last of which was consecrated near Rossbacher Strasse in the mid-19th century. In 1850, prior to which they had been affiliated with the Jewish community of Gladbach, the Niederweidbach Jews formed an independent community. In 1933, 26 Jews resided in Niederweidbach, with an unspecified number of children receiving religious instruction. Four Jews from Mudersbach and eight from Hohensolms were affiliated with the community. As a result of increasing anti-Semitism, many local Jews emigrated from or relocated within Germany. On Pogrom Night, rioters destroyed the interior of the synagogue, throwing furnishings onto the street. Later, in 1940, the windows and a door in a Jewish home were shattered on several occasions. In 1942, between 14 and 16 local Jews were deported. At least 25 Niederweidbach Jews and five from Mudersbach perished in the Shoah. The Jewish cemetery, restored after the war, is now a protected historical site. The synagogue building was torn down in 1949.

Author / Sources: Heidemarie Wawrzyn
Sources: AJ, EJL, FJG, LJG, SIA, W-G
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