Leipzig Jewish community

The Jewish religious community founded in Leipzig until 1847, even though it permits traces of Jewish life in Leipzig prove since the Middle Ages. It was not until the mid-19th century it was allowed Jews, however, to settle permanently in Leipzig.

From this time on a diverse Jewish life in Leipzig developed. The newcomers emancipated themselves increasingly as citizens of Leipzig. Synagogues were built, founded schools. In just one hundred years ago, the Leipzig Kehillah the sixth largest in the whole of Germany and the largest in Saxony, in 1925 it had about 13,000 members.

This development was abruptly interrupted in 1933 with the seizure of power by the National Socialists. When the war ended in 1945 were from the former about 13,000 members of the Jewish community in Leipzig still 24 people left.

Today the community has over 1,300 members again the largest Jewish community in Saxony.