Siebengemeinden

The term seven communities (Hebrew Sheva Kehilot ) also Esterházy Seven communities are former Jewish communities in what is now northern and central Burgenland summarized that have arisen under the Esterházy rule in what was then Hungary.

They are:

• Eisenstadt
• Mattersdorf
• Kobersdorf
• Lackenbach
• Woman churches
• Kittsee
• German Kreutz

Originally belonged as an eighth added the community Neufeld. It was in 1739, dissolved by a decree stately, against which no appeal was possible. The term "eight communities " is not found in the documents.

The seven municipalities created after 1670, when Paul I. Esterházy Jews took up that had been distributed by Leopold I in Vienna. They counted a total of around 3,000 Jews who were mostly Orthodox. The most pious lived in Mattersdorf and German Kreutz, where there were significant yeshivot. In Mattersdorf worked among other things, the great Rabbi Moses Sofer.

For the protection of the Esterházy they had to pay protection fees to the princes. In return, they called themselves proudly as high princely Esterházy protected Jews.

The composer Carl Goldmark lived for ten years in German Kreutz. Ruwen Hirschler lacquer Bach was one of the sponsors of the young Franz Liszt.

The seven churches were the persecution of Jews during the time of Nazi rule victim. The deportations were carried out to Riga, Buchenwald, Ungvár, Miskolc Kielce, Minsk, Nisko, Izbica, Opole and other places. Persons to whom the escape was in time succeeded in settling in London, Manchester, New York, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Shanghai and other places.

They are often compared in the regional historical debate those communities that have emerged under the protection of the Batthyány family. These include Rechnitz, Schlaining and Güssing.