Zittau
General information: First Jewish presence: 14th century; peak Jewish population: 200 in 1920; Jewish population in 1933: 103
Summary: Beginning in the 1350s, Jews lived on the Judenburg (‘Jews’
hill”), south of the marketplace. Records tell us that although
Jews were expelled from Zittau in the 14th century, they
established a temporary presence there in the 15th century,
paying protection money; this small community congregated
in prayer rooms until it, too, was expelled. No Jews lived in
Zittau during the 350 years that followed.
In 1885, however, Jews from Zittau and from nearby
Loeban founded a joint community. The community
consecrated a cemetery (on Goerlitzer Strasse) in the 1880s
and a synagogue (at 12 Lessingstrasse) in 1906.
Most local Jews were merchants or clothing manufacturers;
records also tell us that a large local mill was owned by Jews.
In 1900, a relief organization was set up in Zittau to provide
support to the town’s Eastern European Jews.
On Pogrom Night (November 1938), Nazis blew up the
synagogue and the cemetery hall. Windows in Jewish-owned
shops were smashed, eight Jewish men were arrested and 22
non-German citizens were deported to Poland.
Twenty-four Jews lived in Zittau in 1941, and it is
assumed that all were deported to the East. We know for
certain, however, that at least 12 Zittau Jews perished in
the Shoah.
In 1989, a memorial plaque was unveiled at the former
synagogue site.
Author / Sources: Beate Grosz-Wenker
Sources: AJ, EJL, LJG, SJLZ
Sources: AJ, EJL, LJG, SJLZ
Located in: saxony