Duisburg Ruhrort, Germany

Small numbers of Jews were present in the late 16th and in the 17th centuries. The Jewish population grew from 34 individuals in 1798 to 181 Jews in 1880, reaching its peak in 1910 with 520. The quick growth from the end of the 19th century on was a result of the influx of East European Jews who found employment in the flourishing steel and mining industries. The community established two synagogues (1825, 1841) and two cemeteries (1708, 1893). On the eve of the Nazi assumption of power in 1933, the Jewish population had dropped to about 400 and by 1936 only about 200 remained. In 1937, the community, as well as the Hamborn community, was united with the Duisburg community. On Kristallnacht (9-10 November 1938), the synagogue was set on fire and Jewish men were sent to the Dachau concentration camp. Subsequently the last Jewish businesses were liquidated and in September 1939 the remaining Jews were confined to "Jewish houses." They shared the fate of the Jews of Duisburg.