The Jewish community in Dresden dates from the early 14th century. At its peak in 1926, the Jewish population was about 6,000. By 1934, the population had dropped to about 4,400. As a result of emigration, by May, 1939, there were only about 1,600 Jews remained. Most of these remaining Jews were deported to camps in the east. A Jewish community of about 175 persons was established after the War. By 1987, this community had been reduced to about 50 persons. In the 1990s, the community increased as a result of immigration from the former USSR.
Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a cover sent from the Judenrat (Israelitische Religionsgemeinde) in Dresden to the Dominican Republic Settlement Association in New York City, which was probably a front for the Jewish Agency since it was at the same address. The cover is postmarked September 24, 1940. The back contains a cachet that the letter was supplied through Felix Eisner. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Cover" in the left frame to return.
Spector, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust (2001), P. 329-31
For a remarkable view of life in Dresden during the Holocaust, see the two diaries of Victor Klemperer, I Will Bear Witness : A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1933-1941 and I Will Bear Witness 1942-1945: A Diary of the Nazi Years.