Weissenfels, Germany

The first reference to Jews in Weissenfels refers to their immolation in 1350 in the Black Death persecutions. The renewed late 14th century community came to an end in 1440, probably after an expulsion order Jews returned at the beginning of the 19th century. They first belonged to the Halle community, but after their number had grown to 70 in 1883, they set up an independent community with a prayer room and a cemetery. When the Nazis assumed power in 1933, the community numbered 165. At this time, the first families began to emigrate and community activities intensified. A local branch of the German Zionist Organization was set up in mid-1933 and a cultural association in 1935. The Central Union (C.V.) became more active. Three Jewish families with non-German citizenship were deported to Poland in October 1938. On Kristallnacht (9-10 November 1938), the synagogue was destroyed and several Jews were arrested and taken to the Buchenwald concentration camp. In May 1939, there were only 40 Jews still living in Weissenfels and 24 in 1941. By 1943, four of them had died (three by suicide) and the others had been deported to the east.