Elbinger Schutzjuden
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You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “Elbinger Schutzjuden”.
Jun 07, 2010 @ 06:43:55
I would like to post this information regarding Elbing Jews that I found on the website of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews:
[Elbing] was one of the oldest clusters of Jewish population in East Prussia. The first Jews settled in the town in 1783. It is known that in 1812, 33 Jewish families lived in [Elbing] and in 1880 the town was inhabited by 549 believers of Judaism. In 1812 a Jewish cemetery was established and in 1824 a synagogue was erected.In 1844 a councillor of Jewish descent was elected into the town council. It is worth knowing that one of the largest concerns in East Prussia, a cigar factory Loeser & Wolff ,was set up in 1874 by an [Elbing] Jew. In 1926 the company employed as many as 4000 workers.
Certainly, not all the Jews of [Elbing] were doing very well. At the turn of 19th and 20th century, difficult economic conditions made them leave the country in search of work and better prospects. Their migration was immediately compensated by migration movements from smaller towns. In 1905 [Elbing] was inhabited by 445 people of Jewish descent, until 1925 that figure was almost unchanged (434).
When the Nazis came into the power, the Jewish community in [Elbing] numbered 367 people. The repressions resulted in a quick, gradual decrease in a number of local Jewish population; it went down to 207 in 1936 and to 53 in May 1939. It supposed that in October 1942, due to mixed marriages, there were seven people of Jewish descent in the town.
Jun 07, 2010 @ 18:14:23
Out of respect for the people [...] hoping to find information on their Jewish ancestors in Elbing, I am posting a link I found regarding the Jewish community and the synagogue built in 1824, including a photo. It mentions several surnames, so please do check to see if your family is mentioned in this write-up.
http://www.hans-pfau-elbing.de/122801.html
Judith Elam