Winterswijk
The first mention of Jews having lived in Winterswijk dates to
1700. The Jewish population of Winterswijk grew over the course of
the 18th century; an organized Jewish community, however, did not
come into existence in the town until the century drew to a close.
The community was officially recognized in 1800.
During the early years of Jewish life in Winterswijk, religious
services were held in synagogues in private homes at various
locations in the town. In 1847, an actual synagogue building was
consecrated in the Jodensteeg (Jews' Alley). The Jodensteeg
synagogue remained in service until 1889 when it was converted to
house Winterswijk's Jewish school following the consecration of a
new synagogue in the Spoorstraat.
During the second half of the 19th century, the
Jewish population of Winterswijk grew rapidly. At the time, Jews in
Winterswijk worked mainly in the textile trade, the livestock
trade, and the meat industry. Jews were also active in society at
large; a Jew served as interim mayor of Winterswijk during the
early 20th century and, in 1919, a Jewish socialist was elected to
the town council.
The earliest known Jewish cemetery in Winterswijk was established
in the 18th century and was probably located on the Kottenseweg
near the Elinkbosje. A second Jewish cemetery, located in the
Spoorstraat, was opened at the close of the 18th century and
remained in use until 1884 when the present-day Jewish cemetery in
the Misterweg was opened. A temporary split in the community during
the 1870s resulted in the opening of a small Jewish cemetery near
the Venemans Molen.
The Jewish community at Winterswijk was governed by a community
board and community council. The Board also administered aid to the
poor. Other community officials included a treasurer for collecting
and disbursing aid to the Jewish community in Eretz Israel. The
Jews of Winterswijk also maintained a number of religious, social,
and cultural voluntary organizations. In the years around 1920,
several Jewish pioneers preparing for emigration to Palestine
trained in the vicinity of Winterswijk. Winterswijk absorbed many
Jewish refugees from Germany during the 1930s.
During the World War II German occupation of the Netherlands, the
Jews of Winterswijk suffered under the same measures as Jews
elsewhere in the Netherlands. In September 1941, following the
exclusion of Jewish children from public education, an elementary
school for the Jewish children of the region was established at
Winterswijk. The school remained in operation until April, 1943.
Arrests of Jews in Winterswijk began as early as October, 1941.
Deportations from Winterswijk to Nazi death camps via the transit
camp at Westerbork began in earnest in November 1942 and continued
until April 1943.
The majority of the Jews of Winterswijk were murdered during the
war; only a small number returned alive in the camps at the end of
the war. A few local Jews managed to survive the war in hiding,
most with the help of the Landelijke Organisatie voor Hulp aan
Onderduikers (National Organization for Aiding Those in
Hiding). The synagogue at Winterswijk was plundered during the war;
its interior was destroyed and the building converted into a gym.
The synagogue's Torah scrolls were removed from the building early
in the course of the war and were hidden and later recovered.
Jewish life was reestablished in Winterswijk soon after the war
ended. The synagogue was restored and its interior refurnished with
accoutrements and ceremonial objects from the synagogues of other
former Jewish communities in the Netherlands. The Winterswijk
synagogue was officially reconsecrated in 1951. A second
restoration of the synagogue took place between 1982 and 1984. At
present, the synagogue is occasionally open for religious services.
The two Jewish cemeteries at Winterswijk are maintained by the
local authorities.
A monument in the Jewish cemetery on the Misterweg is inscribed
with the names of Jews from Winterswijk deported and murdered
during the war. A second monument to the memory of the Jews of
Winterswijk was unveiled in 2002 on the Mevr. Kuipers-Rietbergplein
just across from Winterswijk's town hall.
Jewish population in Winterswijk and surroundings:
| 1800 | 50 |
| 1809 | 109 |
| 1840 | 33 |
| 1869 | 72 |
| 1899 | 181 |
| 1930 | 232 |
| 1951 | 30 |
| 1971 | 30 |
| 1998 | 22 |
Collectie en mediatheek
Etrogdoos
1927
citroenvormige houder voor etrog.
Collectie > Museumstukken > 03262
meer treffers in Collectie > Museumstukken
Dossier
Dossiers (158) van de Commissie voor Oorlogsschade mbt 155 joodse
gemeentes (Amsterdam en mediene), 1945-1950.
Collectie > Documenten > 00005954
meer treffers in Collectie > Documenten
Groepsfoto
1901
Leerlingen vd Israel.Godsdienstschool, Winterswijk, 1901.
Collectie > Fotos > 40000103
meer treffers in Collectie > Fotos
[Binnenland] : Amsterdam
1906
Verslag van de jaarvergadering van het hoofdbestuur met de commissie van toezicht
van de vereniging "Centr. Isr. Oude Mannen- en Vrouwenhuis" in Gouda.
Collectie > Joodse pers > 20060367
meer treffers in Collectie > Joodse pers
Joodse oorlogsmonumenten in de provincie Gelderland : alsmede algemene...
2005
Joodse oorlogsmonumenten in de provincie Gelderland : alsmede algemene
oorlogsmonumenten waarop joodse namen voorkomen.
Collectie > Literatuur > 12013463
meer treffers in Collectie > Literatuur
Wie niet weg is wordt gezien
Over onderduiken. Aan de orde komen oa Winterswijk, de landelijke
hulp voor onderduikers, tante Riek en Aalten.
Collectie > Audiovisueel > 40000359
