Ermershausen
General information: First Jewish presence: unknown; peak Jewish population: 111 in 1814; Jewish population in 1933: 58
Summary:
The Jewish community of Ermershausen, founded during
the second half of the 18th century, established a cemetery
in 1832. In 1850, the community built a synagogue. (The
building also housed an apartment for the schoolteacher, a
mikveh and a classroom.) David Kissinger (grandfather of
Henry Kissinger) was Ermershausen’s Jewish schoolteacher
during the 19th century.
Jews’ relations with their Christian neighbors were good
in Ermershausen, a fact that helps explain why only 10 Jews
left the town before 1938. In 1934, however, the Jewish
schoolteacher was arrested and imprisoned for several
months on a blood libel charge invented by the Gestapo in
Burgpreppach.
On Pogrom Night, the interior of the synagogue was
destroyed, as was furniture in Jewish homes. Jews were forced
to burn the Torah scrolls in a field outside the village; most
of the men were deported to Dachau.
By 1941, 25 Ermershausen Jews had immigrated to
the United States and 13 had relocated in Germany. In
April 1942, 15 of the remaining 18 Jews were deported
to Izbica (via Wuerzburg). That same year (in June),
Ermershausen’s last three Jews were sent to the Jewish oldage
home in Schweinfurt, from which they were deported
to Theresienstadt in September 1942.
The synagogue building survived the war and was later
converted into a residence.
Author / Sources: Magret Liat Wolf
Sources: AJ, PK BAV
rijo-research.de
www.math.rutger.edu/~zeilberg/family/omalea.pdf
Sources: AJ, PK BAV
rijo-research.de
www.math.rutger.edu/~zeilberg/family/omalea.pdf
Located in: bavaria