Leipzig Jewish Community Collection
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains various documents pertaining to the Leipzig Jewish community, such as internal administrative papers, correspondence and other material. The bulk of the collection deals with the Nazi years, such as correspondence with the Gestapo concerning the destruction of the synagogues, permission to hold services and other subjects. The collection also includes essays and research material about people from Leipzig and its Jewish community.
The most significant items are the report of the imprisonment of Fred Grubel as well as deportation lists.
Dates
- Creation: 1422-1997
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1925-1968
Creator
- Grubel, Fred (Person)
Language of Materials
The collection is in German and English.
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers.
Access Information
Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:
Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org
Historical Note
Documents of Jewish life in Leipzig reach back to the 14th century, although a sizable Jewish community did not evolve before the mid 19th century. In 1925, 12,500 Jews lived in Leipzig, making it one of the biggest Jewish communities in Germany. During Kristallnacht in 1938, many synagogues, including the one on Gottschedstrasse (consecrated in 1855), were destroyed and consequently, Leipzig Jews were deported to concentration camps. In April 1945, when Leipzig was liberated, there were only 15 Jews living in Leipzig. 200 Jews came back from Theresienstadt and founded a new Jewish community, but by the end of the German Democratic Republic in 1989, this community only numbered about 30 members.
Fred Grubel was born in Leipzig in 1908. He studied law in Freiburg and Leipzig and completed his dissertation in 1930. After 1933, he was director of the Jewish community in Leipzig. In 1938, he immigrated with his family to England, and then on to the United States. In 1968, Fred Grubel became Executive Director of the Leo Baeck Institute. During his tenure at the LBI, he collected documents pertaining to his former hometown of Leipzig, thus laying the groundwork for the present archival collection.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection includes various material concerning the Jewish Community in Leipzig. It contains administrative files and correspondence from the Third Reich as well as lists of deportations. It also contains speeches and essays about Jewish life in Leipzig.
Arrangement
This collection is divided into two series:
Microfilm
The collection is on two reels of microfilm (MF 1010):
- Reel 1: 1/1 - 1/11
- Reel 2: 2/1 - 2/5
Subject
- Grubel, Fred (Person)
- Goerdeler, Carl, 1884-1945 (Person)
- Rockman, Chaim (Person)
- Maertin, Erwin, 1928 (Person)
- Meyer-Gerngross, Louis (Person)
- Jonas, Esther, 1974- (Person)
- Edition Peters (Organization)
- Sportverein Schild (Leipzig) (Organization)
- Bamberger & Hertz (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Records of the Leipzig Jewish Community 1422-1997 (bulk: 1925-1968) AR 2167 / MF 1010
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Katharina Hoffmann
- Date
- © 2009
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Edition statement
- This version was derived from LeipzigJewishCommunity.xml
Revision Statements
- March 2010.: Microfilm inventory added to finding aid.
- February 18, 2015 : Links to digital objects added in Container List.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository
