Aschersleben, Germany

Jews are first mentioned in 1325. They lived outside the town in the Jews' village (Judendorf) until their expulsion in 1494 on the orders of the Bishop of Halberstadt. It was not until after 1767 that a community once again emerged, numbering 145 in 1864. A cemetery was established at the beginning of the 19th century, and a synagogue in 1852. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, the community included 77 individuals. On Kristallnacht (9-10 November 1938), the synagogue and the mortuary were destroyed and businesses and homes were looted and vandalized. In 1939, there were 23 Jews in Aschersleben. Most were finally deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto. Altogether at least 34 Jews perished in the camps, including those who sought shelter in other towns or neighboring countries. In 1941-43, there was a forced labor camp in Ascherleben for Jewish women. Its remaining inmates were de-ported to Auschwitz at the end of 1943.