Lost Jewish Communities: Winterswijk, Netherlands

CrownHeights.info presents a new mini-series on Lost Jewish Communities that have vanished over the last few centuries. In the first episode we begin the journey in the town of Winterswijk, in the Netherlands.

Lying close to the German border, Winterswijk is proudly part of the Achterhoek, a cultural region in the eastern Netherlands. Its name (meaning “rear-corner”) is geographically appropriate because the area lies in the easternmost part of Gelderland, and therefore in the east of the Netherlands, protruding into Germany.

Despite holding the record for the coldest temperature in the Netherlands (-47 in 1942), the city’s name is unrelated to winter.

Winterswijk had a Jewish community since 1700, although very few now remain

The Jewish population of Winterswijk grew over the course of the 18th century; an organized Jewish community, however, did not come into existence in the town until the century drew to a close. The community was officially recognized in 1800.

During the early years of Jewish life in Winterswijk, religious services were held in synagogues in private homes at various locations in the town. In 1847, an actual synagogue building was consecrated in the Jodensteeg (Jews’ Alley). The Jodensteeg synagogue remained in service until 1889 when it was converted to house Winterswijk’s Jewish school following the consecration of a new synagogue in the Spoorstraat.

Although the Jewish community in Winterswijk suffered severely during the Second World War, community life was re-established in 1951 with the re-inauguration of the synagogue present in this small town. At that time, the community numbered no more than 30 people.

During the war, Winterswijk was home to a Dutch resistance member code named Tante Riek, who helped hide Jews and allied airmen shot down over the Netherlands. She was sadly betrayed and died in a Nazi concentration camp, though she is remembered near a Jewish memorial in front of the town hall.