Jewish History and Culture
The history of the Jewish community in Görlitz dates back to the Middle Ages. After a 450-year hiatus, Jews reappeared in the mid-19th century and started to flourish in many ways. Each year their numbers grew steadily what influenced the decision to build a New Synagogue at the beginning of the 20th century. This period had lasted only until the 1920s, when antisemitism was on a massive rise, and the 1930s in which political changes brought a wave of persecution. The Scho’adecisively ended the Jewish presence in the city on the Neisse River. After the war, the few who survived decided to leave the city.
The following text focuses on telling the stories of individual members of the Jewish community in Görlitz and the region who were buried in the Jewish cemetery on Biesnitzer Straße. Through their stories, we want to bring the history of Jewish life closer to people and save it from oblivion.