Synagogue (Kaliningrad)

Infobox religious building
building_name=Synagogue in Kaliningrad


caption=
location=flagicon|RussiaKaliningrad, Russia
geo=
religious_affiliation=Orthodox Judaism
district=
functional_status=destroyed
leadership=
website=
architecture_style=Aesopian style
facade_direction=
year_completed=1896
construction_cost=
architect=
specifications=no
capacity=
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materials=The Synagogue (Kaliningrad) was a synagogue in Kaliningrad (in former times Königsberg) in Russia.

History

307 Jews lived at Königsberg in 1756. There were 1,027 Jews at Königsberg in 1817. In 1864 there lived 3,024 Jews. In 1880 there were 5,000 Jews at the city. In 1900 there were only 3,975 Jews at Königsberg. The first synagogue was a chapel built in 1680 in the "Burgfreiheit" (a location which was not administrated by the city). In 1704 there was the formation of the jewish congregation, when they acquired a jewish cemetery and when they founded a "Chebra Kaddisha". In 1722 they received a constitution. In 1756 a new synagogue was dedicated but destroyed in 1811. In 1815 the synagogue was reconstructed on the same location. The second constitution of the jewish community was in 1811. The new synagogue of the community was dedicated August 1896 and destroyed 1938.

There were following rabbis:
* Solomon Fürst (from 1707 to 1722). He wrote a cabalistic work and a prayer, which is printed in hebrew and german language.
* Aryeh (Löb) Epstein ben Mordecai ( from 1745 to 1775).
* Samuel Wigdor (from 1777 to 1784).
* Samson b. Mordecai (from 1784 to 1794).
* Joshua Bär Herzfeld (from 1800 to 1814).
* Levin Joseph Saalschütz ( from 1814 to 23).
* Wolff Laseron (from 1824 to 1828).
* Jacob Hirsch Mecklenburg (from 1831 to 1865). He who wrote the "Ha-Ketab we-ha-Kabbalah".
* Isaac Bamberger.
* Hermann Vogelstein (from 1897).

The community was one of the pioneers of modern culture. Jews of Königsberg have taken an important part in the struggle for the jewish emancipation:

* Marcus Warschauer (financier)
* Samuel Simon (financier)
* Moritz Simon (financier)
* Dr. Johann Jacoby (physician)
* Dr. Ferdinand Falkson (physician).
* Dr. Raphael Kosch (physician). In 1869 Kosch secured for Jews the abolition of the Jews' oath in Prussia.
* Dr. Simon Samuel (physician). Samuel has taken an important part in securing for Jews the right of admission to the faculty of the University in Königsberg.
* Isaac Euchel (pupil of Emmanuel Kant). Euchel founded a Hebrew literary society. He wrote the periodical "Ha-Meassef" and the circular letter "Sefat Emet". Euchel defended institutions for the education of the young pupils, like the "Freischule" at Berlin.
* Marcus Herz (pupil of Emmanuel Kant).
* Aaron Joel (pupil of Emmanuel Kant). Joel introduced the ideas of Mendelssohn into the city of Königsberg

In 1942 the Jews of Königsberg were killed in Maly Trostinez (Minsk), Theresienstadt and Auschwitz.

References

*Borowski, Beitrag zur Neueren Geschichte der Juden in Preussen, Besonders in Beziehung auf lhre Freieren Gottesdienstlichen Uebungen, in: Preussisches Archiv, ii., Königsberg, 1790; idem, Moses Mendelssohns und David Kypkers Aufsätze über Jüdische Gebete und Festfeiern, ib. 1791;
*Jolowicz, Geschichte der Juden in Königsberg in Preussen, Posen, 1867;
*Saalschütz, Zur Geschichte der Synagogengemeinde in Königsberg, in Monatsschrift, vi.-ix.;
*Vogelstein, Beiträge zur Geschichte des Unterrichtswesens in der Jüdischen Gemeinde zu Königsberg in Preussen, Königsberg, 1903.

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