Krefeld-Linn
General information: First Jewish presence: 18th century; peak Jewish population: 46 in 1824; Jewish population in 1933: 42
Summary: During the early 18th century, the Jews of Linn managed
their communal affairs in cooperation with neighboring
Jewish communities (a number of which used Linn’s Jewish
cemetery), for the village was then too small to merit the
establishment of an official Jewish community. Although the
village was eventually incorporated into the larger town of
Krefeld, home to a large Jewish population and a synagogue,
Linn Jews continued to conduct services in a rented prayer
room. At some point during the mid-19th century, Philipp de
Greiff, a wealthy Christian silk manufacturer, bequeathed
his entire assets for the purpose of building a synagogue in a
suitable location; after much debate, it was decided to build
the new house of worship in Linn. In 1865, the large building
was erected at 92 Rheinbabenstrasse. We also know that the
synagogue’s dome was renovated in 1926.
On Pogrom Night, rioters set the synagogue building on fire.
The flames, however, failed to damage the sturdy outer walls—
those were torn down by the fire brigade the following day.
Today, a simple grassy plot marks the Rheinbabenstrasse
synagogue site, in front of which (on the sidewalk) a
memorial plaque was erected in 1988.
Photo: The synagogue of Krefeld-Linn on Petersstrasse. Courtesy of: City Archive of Krefeld.
Author / Sources: Ruth Martina Trucks
Sources: EJL, LJG, SG-NRW
Sources: EJL, LJG, SG-NRW
Located in: north-rhine-westphalia