Wittlich, Germany

Wittlich Rhineland, Germany. Jews arrived under the protection of Archbishop Baldwin in the first half of the 14th century and engaged in money lending. All were killed in 1349 during the Black Death massacres, with their property expropriated by Baldwin and his successor, Boemund. Jews settled there again around 1620.They traded in horses, wine, fruit, silver, and jewelry and were again active as money lenders. In the 19th century, their population grew steadily, from 68 in 1808 to 204 (total 3,085) in 1871. The majority dealt in livestock and from the beginning of the 19th century, the majority of livestock traders in the town were Jews, with Yiddish the language of the livestock market and Yiddish expressions entering local speech. In the mid-19th century, newcomers with capital also began operating successful stores, bringing in merchandise from the Leipzig, Frankfurt, and Berlin fairs, and becoming the first to open department stores and hold holiday and end of season sales. Jewish women worked as seamstresses. In 1808, the community was attached to the Trier consistory. A synagogue was consecrated in 1833, its congregation reflecting the community's class structure, with the wealthier merchants tending toward Orthodoxy and the poorer livestock dealers embracing Liberalism. A private Jewish elementary school was founded in 1858 and recognized as a public school in 1891. From the late 19th century through the Weimar period, the Jewish population maintained a stable level of 200-230 despite a rapidly falling birthrate. By 1912, the percentage of livestock dealers among Jewish breadwinners had dropped to 41%. The Frank textile outlet and the Wolf shoe store were the leading commercial enterprises. Gottfried Hess was a city assemblyman from 1900 to 1925 and Jews were active in local cultural organizations. Gustav Adolf Mueller, who served in the Bavarian Landtag from 1899 to 1918, was afterwards Germany's ambassador to Switzerland. At the same time there were manifestations of local Anti-Semitism throughout the period. A new synagogue was consecrated in 1910. Jews continued to engage primarily in trade and were represented in a wide variety of cultural organizations (theater, music, sports). Nazi Anti-Semitism intensified from the mid-1920s. In June 1933, the Jewish population was 268. Under Nazi rule, Jews immediately became objects of abuse, attacked in the streets and isolated economically and socially. The few Germans who kept up their formerly friendly relations did so clandestinely. In 1933, income in Jewish stores dropped by 30%. Knives were confiscated from Jewish butchers even before the nationwide ban on ritual slaughter. Jewish dealers were also banned from the livestock market. From 1933-38, 155 Jews left Wittlich, 86 emigrating and 69 moving to other German cities, including 19 to Cologne. Zionist activity expanded, with 59 in the local branch in 1936 and 19 youngsters undergoing pioneer training in various localities prior to aliya. The Maccabi sports club was active in 1935. On Kristallnacht (9-10 November 1938), the synagogue, Jewish school, and Jewish homes were wrecked. From 1939, Jews were held in two Jewish houses," the men subjected to forced labor. By summer 1941, another 54 Jews left the town (46 in 1939), 21 emigrating and 33 moving to other German cities (26 to Cologne). Of the total 133 Jews who emigrated directly from Wittlich or via their new homes in Germany, 30 reached Palestine, 13 South America, and ten Luxembourg. Deportations commenced in fall 1941 when 11 Jews were loaded onto a transport of 500 bound for the Lodz ghetto. Two were deported to the Riga ghetto on December 7th, seven to an unknown destination on April 23rd 1942, and nine to the Theresienstadt ghetto on August 18th 1942. In all, 80 perished in the Holocaust