[Page 197]

Year	No of Residents	of them Jews	%
1709	-	3 (Protected Jews)
1771	-	3 (Protected Jews)
1809	740	223 (Persons)
1812	833	260	30.1
1837	870	265	31.2
1867	871	115	30.5
1880	905	89	13.2
1900	836	72	9.8
1910	924	68	8.6
1925	977	64	7.3
1933	993	60	6.5
25/4/1942	-	11	6.0
26/4/1942	-	9*
1/11/1942	-	9*

Jews	Catholics	Protestants
6.04	89.73	4.23

The community is first mentioned in 1669 as one of the communities most harmed during the revolts by the surrounding farmers. From 1709 on and during the 18^th century, there were a few Jewish families in Adelsdorf holding the right to reside there according to the Duchy of Bayreuth. In 1743, one of the Jews of the village is recorded as having been a visitor to the fair in Leipzig. During the years 1769-1880 Adelsdorf was served by Rabbi Meir Heller Pertzfelder (a descendent of Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller, who held “tosefot Yom-Tov”), who later became the last Chief Rabbi of Bavaria (1801-1823). Until 1732 the Adelsdorf community used the neighboring cemetery in Zeckern, as did the Jews of Uehlfeld, and until 1818, also the Jews of Hirschaid..

At the start of the 19^th century, the community numbered more that 200 persons and in the middle of the century, Jews made up a third of the village's population. However from that time, with the opening of the gates to Jews to the big cities of Bavaria, there began a significant decline in the number of Jews in Adelsdorf which continued until the destruction of the community during the Nazi rule. The Adelsdorf Rabbinate already ended in 1847; from which time the community was under the regional rabbinate of Burgebrach (in 1933 there was no community in this place), and from 1907 under the regional rabbinate of Bamberg. During the same year the Jewish community of Höchstadt was added to the Jewish community of Adelsdorf.

In 1933, the community had a synagogue (first recorded in 1840 but most likely it was built before that), the ancient cemetery near Zeckern and a school. The community budget (in 1930) was approximately 1,200 Marks of which 720 Marks went to education. In 1932-33, Jewish studies were provided to six children.

During the early hours of November 10, 1938, cars carrying SS people arrived in Adelsdorf along with members of the local Nazi party and recruits of the Reich's “Work Service” (“Reicharbeitsdienst”) for the nearby camp. They broke into 12 homes of Jews who were there, broke doors and windows and destroyed furniture. They also destroyed the synagogue tools and furniture as well as burning all the sacred items. Several Adelsdorf Jews were arrested and sent to the Dachau concentration camp.

There is no available data as to when the Adelsdorf Jews left or where they emigrated but it seems that the community was eliminated shortly after the events of November (the last Jew was buried in the local cemetery on August 15, 1938; the last Jewish child born in Adelsdorf was born on August 19, 1938).

After the assassination attempt on Hitler's life in Munich on November 9, 1939, there were a number of riotous acts on the Adelsdorf Jews carried out by individuals (“Einzelaktionen”).

In November 1942, Jakob Stein was arrested in Adelsdorf and charged with having sex with a German woman.

Two Jews from Adelsdorf were deported on April 25, 1942 through Wurzburg to Izbica. After that date, nine people remained who were considered Jews according to the racial laws. Their fate is unknown.

None of the Jews returned to Adelsdorf after the war. The damaged synagogue remained until after the war. The school was not damaged but the furniture was ruined. The Jewish cemetery of Adelsdorf located near Zuchern was saved and remains under the care of the Bavarian Union of Jewish Communities.

In 1949, 19 participants in the riots of Adelsdorf were brought to court in Bamberg, Forchheim and Mühlhausen. Those found guilty were sentenced to various sentences, from some months to up to five years.

There are no Jews in Adelsdorf today.

The Central Archive of the Jewish People

B/V/8; XI/4.- F/I/1.-G/4/1a-b.- Inv/250:119;486/3 : 3.-N/29/19.-

Yad Vashem Archive

JRSO/Bayern, p.26 (Adelsdorf).- O-4/20/10-16 (Landgericht Bamberg: Kls 70/80)/ - PKG/S.3/Adelsdorf/1961; S.6/1964/ -

Microfilms

JM/2709, r. 1:341-43; r. 3:1579.- JM/2829, r. 2 (Akte Nr. 16a, pp. 79, 124). – JM/2858, r.5: 566, 1108.-

Bibliography

Azolai, Avraham; Ashkenazi, Asher: “Pinkas Shlihut Tiveria, Shnat Taf-Kuf-Nun-Bet.” Writings of Beit HaMidrash Rabanim, New York, No. 1791, PP127. (Hebrew)
Segri, Haim Yisrael Raphael: “Pinkas Shlihut Tiveria, Shnat Taf-Kuf-Sin-Zayin – Taf-Kuf-Sin-Tet.” Writings of Beit HaMidrash Rabanim, New York, No. 13273, PP Kuf- Lamed. (Hebrew)
Eckstein, A.: Geschichte der Juden im ehem. Fürstbistum Bamberg, pp, 33, 60.
Idem: Geshichte der Juden im Markgrafentum Bayreuth, pp. 84, 122-23.
Freudenthal, Max: Leipziger Messgäste, Frankfurt a. Main, 1928, pp.23.
Fuchs, E.M.: Über die erstn Niederlassungen der Juden in Mittelfranken. Berlin, 1909, p. 18.
Hofmann, Hanns Hubert: Ländliches Judentum in Franken, Tribüne, Frankfurt a. Main, vol. 7 (1968) no. 27, p. 2904.
Hohn, K.: Atlas von Bayern. Nürnberg. 1840, (OFr.) pp. 92-93.
Weinberg, M.: Geschichte der Juden in der Oberpfalz, III. Der Bezirk Rothenberg. Sulzbürg, 1909, pp. 173-77, 183.

Newspapers

Der Orient, Leipzig, vol. 8 (Feb 26, 1847) no. 9, pp.75-76.

 Yizkor Book Project    JewishGen Home Page  

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 18 Oct 2010 by MGH