Niederwerrn Jewish Quarter

A Meier Gutmann lived in the today’s Schweinfurter road 32,
Siegmund Gutmann at Schweinfurter Straße 57
Arnold Gutmann at number 50,
Baruch Gutmann at Unterbrunnen 5, Salomon Gutmann lived in Zimmergasse 9, the same

In the Nazi era, in November 1934, there were attacks on the Jewish population. At that time, the windows were smashed in many Jewish houses of the community. Also on July 21, 1935 wooden blocks were thrown into a house, with a Jewish woman suffered injuries. Again in early 1938 windows of Jewish houses were smashed. During the November Pogrom of 1938, there were serious riots in which most Jewish houses were destroyed and plundered, a Jewish woman raped and a 70-year-old woman was robbed in the presence of a large crowd and was pushed into the Werrnbach.

Niederwerrn Synagoge

Memorial plaque to the former Jewish community.

Between 1934 and 1940, 39 Jewish residents left the village. In February 1942, nine Jews still lived in Niederwerrn, who were deported in April 1942 via Würzburg to the extermination camp Izbica (near Lublin / Poland) or in September 1942 via Würzburg to the ghetto Theresienstadt.

Niederwerrn Synagoge

The bema in the synagogue.

Around 1924, when about 40 Jewish parishioners were counted (4.6% of 870), the leaders of the parish were Salli Gutmann, Leopold Weiler, Felix Rosenberger, Jacob Hesslein and Simon Hammelburger.

Niederwerrn Synagoge

The menorah in the synagogue before the Aron Hakodesh.

Niederwerrn Synagoge

One of the heart of the community’s culture is the library in the former synagogue Niederwerrn.

The former community’s synagogue was built in 1786 to replace a smaller previous one and renovated in 1885 and 1913. Its interior was badly damaged at the time of Kristallnacht on 9 November 1938. Its Torah rolls and other ritual equipment were set on fire and destroyed. However, the local fire brigade assisted in extinguishing the fire in order to prevent its spread to neighboring houses. The building, displaying a memorial plaque to the former Jewish community, is still standing and has since been used as a cinema and a factory storage hall. It is now being, renovated and will in future accommodate the local public library.

Niederwerrn Synagoge

Inside the synagogue with a view over
the lectern to the Torah shrine.

As cantor and teacher is called David Bauda (or Banda?). In 1932, the community leaders were Salli Gutmann (1st pres.), Simon Hammelburger (2nd pres.) And Felix Rosenberger (3rd pres.). Teacher was now Julius Neuberger.

Memorial plaque to the former Jewish community.

At the November pogrom of 1938, at noon on the 10th of November, about 50 SA people from Schweinfurt were equipped with hatchets and hammers. After the desolation of the Jewish houses, they invaded the synagogue, destroying the furniture and rituals, including Torah scrolls and 18th-century Torah shrines. The rubble of the interior was thrown in the synagogue in a heap and set on fire. Since a fire of the building would have endangered the neighbors’ houses (which were also used for agriculture), the fire department put out the fire. The political community soon after bought the synagogue for 3,000 RM and the Jewish school and community center for 7,000 RM (the value was estimated at 15,000 RM).