Konigsberg (Kaliningrad), Russia

General

Until 1946, Konigsberg was part of Germany. Until the city was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1945 under the Potsdam agreement, it was the capital of East Prussia (Germany). Jewish settlement began in the late 1600’s. The first synagogue in the town was constructed in 1756. At its peak in 1880, the Jewish population was about 5,000 (3.6% of the total population). By the time of the Nazi takeover in 1933, the Jewish population had dropped to about 3,200. By the start of the war, less than 1,600 Jews remained. Most of these were deported to Theresienstadt. The postcard below depicts the main synagogue in Konigsberg located on Lindenstrasse, which was destroyed during Kristallnacht

References

"Kaliningrad" Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopedia Judaica, CD Rom Edition, Keter Publishing