Cologne-Muellheim (Köln / Koeln)

Summary: Although Jewish families, many of whom were fleeing persecution in nearby Deutz, settled in Muellheim well before the establishment of the official Jewish community there in 1825, it was not until the end of the 19th century that the town’s Jewish population experienced significant growth. We also know that, in 1903, the Muellheim Jewish community was affiliated with that of Cologne. Records indicate that Muellheim’s synagogue was damaged by flooding in 1784, not long after which, in 1788/89, a new synagogue and adjacent classrooms were built in the area. On Pogrom Night, rioters destroyed the synagogue and school buildings. Although the municipality eventually appropriated the site, it was returned to the Jewish Trust Corporation in 1954. At the site, which now accommodates a new apartment building, a plaque commemorates the Jewish community.

Author / Sources: Harold Slutzkin
Source: SG-NRW