Almost everywhere in germany burned in the night of 9. To 10. November 75 years ago the synagogues, jewish businesses were plundered and people of the jewish faith were also taken away by brutal hitler supporters. The hatred of the jews was not only felt in the larger towns, but also in the countryside, where the jews had to fear for their lives.
Adelsdorf was no exception. However, kristallnacht did not begin here until the morning of the 10th. November. Because they had been on duty elsewhere the night before, an SS task force from forchheim, together with members of the adelsdorf NSDAP local group and men from the nearby reich labor service camp, attacked the jewish population in the village and the adelsdorf synagogue in the early morning.
As can be read in the local chronicle of adelsdorf and as reported by contemporary witnesses, the nazis forced their way into the twelve houses inhabited by jewish families, smashed windows, doors, furniture and other furnishings. On this morning, the schlagertrupps also broke into the adelsdorf synagogue, which also housed a jewish religious school. The interiors of the synagogue and the school were demolished, and the ritual objects were burned in the adelsdorf marketplace. The building itself was preserved and did not go up in flames, as in many other places.
Completely integrated before 1933
the events of this time in adelsdorf have been intensively researched by kerstin blum. The young lady has been active for several years as a village and castle leader. She has researched that on the morning of 10. November 1938 not only the houses of the adelsdorf jews were vandalized. Blum: "there were also immediately deported family father to dachau."
According to the findings of kerstin blum, the jews were "completely integrated" in adelsdorf before hitler's seizure of power in 1933. Thus the adelsdorf fire department was co-founded by jews. The singing club was also founded by jewish citizens of mitburg, who were an integral part of village life at that time.
The history of the adelsdorf jews goes back a long way. And a synagogue was already destroyed here once. That was in the year 1699, when one was looking for a sundenbock for a bad harvest. Like schlossfuhrerin blum weib, the jewish mitburgers met in the castle after 1699, where schlossherr von bibra took his subjects under his wing.
A sensitive issue
In 1690, 101 jews lived among the 824 inhabitants of adelsdorf. 1835 there were 276 of 1709 inhabitants. In 1933, only 60 jews were still living in adelsdorf; in 1942, the last one was deported from the village, reports blum.
She has also researched that from 1933 onwards jewish children were excluded and beaten in the adelsdorf school. The teacher, burgermeister and SA chief wilhelm koch is said to have played a not insignificant role in this. That the adelsdorfer dedicated this man later even a strabe, surprised a former adelsdorfer jew nevertheless very much.
The municipal council drew consequences in the 90s and renamed the wilhelm-koch- into rosenstrabe. This in turn triggered fierce protests from some older adelsdorfers. Blum speaks today of a "very sensitive issue" in adelsdorf.