Bielefeld is a town in Westphalia, Germany. Jews were present in the town as early as 1345. By 1900, the Jewish population had grown to about 800. The Jews were by and large quite successful and involved in the local economy. The Jewish population reached its peak in 1925 at about 900 persons. As a result of emigration during the 1930’s, the Jewish population in the fall of 1941 had declined to 400. Deportations to Poland and Theresienstadt began at the end of 1941. A community of 50-60 surviviors was established after the war. The postcard below depicts the synagogue in Bielefeld which was concsecrated in 1905 and destroyed during Kristallnacht.
Encyclopedia Judaica, CD Rom Edition, Keter Publishing
Spector, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust, P. 143-45
Http://www.bielefeld.de/en/special/Tours/
Copyright © 1998-2002 Edward Victor