Sosnowiec, Poland

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[Page 225]

The Jewish Community Administration
of Sosnowiec in 1939

J. Lewenhof

S. Ch. Warman

M. Czechowski

S. N. Langer

A. L. Fajerman

S. Pilc

D. Lewartowski

L. Sztajnfeld

Jews in the Sosnowiec town council

Translated by Bill Leibner

The first municipal council of Sosnowiec in the reborn Poland started to function in 1920. It was based on the representation of all political and social groups in town.

The elections were held in accordance with the five-point requirements for municipal elections. The following Jewish candidates were elected: Mendel Lubelski, Grunem Saper, Jozef Ingster, engineer, Dr. Avraham Perlman, Sh. Zyskind, A. Moszkowski, B. Tencer, M. Judenherc, and Cudzinowski. The council consisted of 40 members and held office for five years (1920 – 1925).

A seniority council that included the leaders of the various groups including Dr. A. Perlman and M. Lubelski headed the municipal council.

The council formed various social and economic committees. M. Lubelski was the official liaison of the Jewish organizations to the various municipal committees. In 1925, the council was abolished and the city had two municipal councils that were in turn dissolved. The municipal affairs passed into the hands of an appointed body of officials that included Leibisz Zendel and Herman Oliner. Only with the municipal voter reform act of 1934 were elections held in Sosnowiec, and a council of 44 members was elected that included nine Jewish councilman.

[Page 226]

The Jewish councilmen formed an informal "club" where items were hammered out and then presented to the municipal council as a single proposal; in other words, the Jewish councilmen spoke in one voice. The membership of the "club" consisted of Mendel Lubelski, Szalom Lajzerowicz [Property Owners List], Herman Oliger, Dawid Kaiser [Small Merchants List], Baruch Majerczyk [Revisionists], Josef Saper [Merchants and Industrialists List], Jakob Kromolowski [Zionists], Leibisz Szwajcer [Orthodox], and Adam Zilberschlag [Artisans].

The functions of the Jewish councilmen were made more difficult due to the prevailing anti-Jewish mood , which frequently resulted in clashes that were settled at the mayor's office.

The Jewish councilmen were very active in their legislative positions but were also involved in social and political activities. They represented the Jewish population of Sosnowiec as best they could. Due to their active participation, they usually headed various social, economic, and cultural drives in our city. They also frequently represented the Jewish population to other cities and areas. The present "club" appointed Dr. Tuvia Melodista to represent it at the general revision commission of the municipality.

The Jewish advisors in the
Sosnowiec town council in 1938

B. Majerczyk
Honorary Secretary
[revisionists]

H. Oliner
Vice-Chairman
[small merchants list]

M. Lubelski
Chairman
[homeowners list]

A. Zilberszlag
[artisan list]

L. Szwajcer
[orthodox]

D. Kajzer
[small merchants list]

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The Jewish Community Administration of Sosnowiec in 1939

Jews in the Sosnowiec town council

Translated by Bill Leibner

The Jewish advisors in the Sosnowiec town council in 1938

The Jewish Community Administration
of Sosnowiec in 1939

The Jewish advisors in the
Sosnowiec town council in 1938