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Oberaula, Germany
A village in the county of Schwalm-Eder.

Year	Total Population	Number of Jews	Percent Jewish
1812		24 families
1835		45 persons
1861	921	106	11.5
1871	811	82	10.1
1885	823	91	11.1
1895	788	90	11.4
1905	857	70	8.2
1925	1,113	79	7.1
1933	1,197	79	6.6
1939	1,231	39	3.2

Religious Affiliation by Percentage in 1925

Community History

The Jews of Oberaula mainly supported themselves as cattle traders and in other forms of business, and some of them dealt in some way with agriculture – mainly growing grain, potatoes and vegetables for their own use and for sale. In the 1870s, Dr. Lissauer, a Jewish doctor, lived in Oberaula. In 1893, Dr. Beckel, the anti-Semitic leader, accused Jews from Oberaula for robbing one of his workers from a neighboring village, but refused to disclose who it was (and it is doubtful if he based his accusation on fact).

Four Jews from Oberaula fell in WWI (1914-1918): Karl Goldschmidt, Max Heilbrunn, Joseph Wallach and Markus Wallach.

Community Life. In 1837 the Oberaula synagogue was completed which also housed the Oberaula Jewish primary school. During the years 1847-1875, a Mr. Rothschild was headmaster. In 1869, 18 pupils studied there in three classes; in 1890 – 29 pupils and in 1901 – 19. In 1908, Moses Brandes, the senior teacher who had begun his service in school in 1878, received a Casearean Letter of Excellence. The community cemetery, opened in the 1880s, also served the Jews of Ottrau, Hausen, Schwarzenborn and Raboldshausen.

On the eve of the Nazis takeover, the community had a synagogue, a cemetery, a mikveh and a school in one of the synagogue rooms, in which six children studied under the teacher, Heilbrunn. There was also an active women's organization – established in 1907 – and a men's organization. The community belonged to the Marburg district rabbinate and it was headed by Mayer Rosenberg. Before that, David Wallach held that position for 33 years. He died in 1927. This community also included eight Jews from Schwarzenborn and two from Hausen.

During the elections to the Reichstag on November 6, 1932, the Nazis received 78.4% of the residents' votes, almost twice the Hesse-Nassau average (41.2%), and the Social Democrats received only 15.7%.

Under Nazi rule

In 1938 the Jewish artifacts were moved to Cassel and destroyed there on Kristallnacht. The synagogue in Oberaula was also destroyed at that time.

From 1934 to 1940, 13 Jews from Oberaula emigrated to the United States, three to Israel, one to France and 44 others to other places in Germany or to unknown locations. Six Jews died in Oberaula. In 1942, the last 13 Jews were deported to camps in the east. At least 16 members of the community perished – one in Auschwitz, one in Maidanek – and the rest in unknown locations.

After the War

Jews of the Neighboring Villages

At that time there was a synagogue there and they held religious studies. During the 20^th century the number of Jews sharply declined to 19 in 1905 and 11 in 1925.

During 1937-1939 8 Jews moved from Schwarzenborn to Frankfurt and Kassel.

Hausen. In 1744 three Jewish families were settled in Hausen, two in 1776, 29 in 1861, 24 in 1905 and seven in 1925.

An independent community existed in Raboldshausen in the 19^th century made up of 144 persons in 1835, about a seventh of the total population of the village. The community owned a cemetery and a school. In 1925 only five Jews remained.

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