Hofgeismar

Summary: The Jewish community of Hofgeismar, established either in the 17th or the 18th century, built a synagogue on Petriplatz (or Petriplatz) in 1764, with 50 seats for men, 30 for women, a schoolroom and, located in the garden, a mikveh. At the cemetery site (called Schanzenweg), which had been purchased in 1695, the oldest existing gravestone is dated 1737. Records also tell us that Hofgeismar was home to a Jewish elementary school from 1867 until 1908. In 1848, anti-Semitic rioters attacked local Jews. In 1933, between 31 and 37 Jews lived in Hofgeismar. A teacher from Meimbressen instructed five schoolchildren in religion, and a Jewish women’s association conducted welfare work. In Hofgeismar, a stronghold of the Nazi Party, Nazis held leading positions in the city parliament. During the 1930s, headstones from the Jewish cemetery were used for the lining of a pond. On Pogrom Night, members of the SA and SS destroyed the synagogue’s interior, smashed windows and vandalized Jewish-owned homes and stores. A Jewish man was arrested and mistreated; another managed to escape his attackers. Hofgeismar’s synagogue was torn down shortly after the pogrom. Ten local Jews emigrated from Germany, several moved to other German cities and two died in the town between 1933 and 1935. At least 15 Hofgeismar Jews perished in the Shoah. After the war, Hofgeismar was home to more than 2,000 displaced persons, who erected a memorial there. A memorial plaque has been unveiled at the synagogue site.

Author / Sources: Heidemarie Wawrzyn
Sources: AJL, DJGH, EJL, FJG, SIA, YV
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