Katscher, Germany

KATSCHER (Polish Kietrz), Upper Silesia, Germany, today Poland. The Jewish population was 36 in 1787. The community established a synagogue in 1825 and a private Jewish school in 1845. It also maintained a cemetery. In 1840, the Jewish population was 108, rising to a peak of 186 in 1871. Early in the 20th century, many emigrated to the big cities, mostly to Breslau and Berlin, reducing the Jewish population to 52 in 1910. In 1933, the Jewish population was 42. The Nazi racial laws were not put into force in Katscher until July 1937 owing to the protection of the League of Nations minority rights convention. Jewish children were subsequently expelled from public schools and forced to travel to the Jewish school in Ratibor. On Kristallnacht )9-10 November 1938), the synagogue was set on fire and Jewish stores and warehouses were destroyed. Five Jews remained on 19 November 1942. Presumably the rest either emigrated or perished following deportation.