Kwidzyn
Polska / pomorskie
 | Synagogues, prayer houses and others |  | Cemeteries |  | Places of martyrology |  | Judaica in museums |  | Other |
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History
Małgorzata Grzenda /
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Kwidzyn is located approx. 24 miles south of Malbork (Marienburg/Nogat). The very first Jew to settle down in the town was a banker, Leib Jacob Levin. He arrived at Kwidzyn with his family in 1790. In the following years, more and more Jewish families settled in town, all of them, however, were charged an annual fee by the Royal Treasury. Apart from the municipal tax, the Jews were obliged to pay so-called military-service exemption tax and wedding tax as well as a tax based on the number of children. What is more, they had to pay a silver supply tax. Initially, there were a few Jews in Kwidzyn: only one Jewish family in 1789 and eight – in 1811. Nevertheless, in 1887 the number of Jews in Kwidzyn had reached 357, the maximum, which was not exceeded ever since. In the following years the Jewish population of Kwidzyn was smaller, yet, still considerable: there were approx. 290 Jews in 1890 and no more than 210 in 1930. Before the outbreak of the First World War, around 1910, the community witnessed a drastic population slump down to 120 inhabitants. Later, the number of Jewish population increased again, however only for a short period of time. To the synagogal community of Kwidzyn belonged as well the Jews living in nearby towns such as Gardeja (Garnsee), Korzeniewo (Kurzebrack), Michałowo (Marienau), Mareza (Mareese), Opalenie (Münsterwalde), Czarne Dolne (Niederzehren) and Czarne Górne (Hochzehren). Local Jews earned a living mainly from trade. 'Kaufhaus M. Conitzer & Söhne' (M.Conitzer and Sons) was the most famous Jewish department store in the town. There were also lots of smaller Jewish shops that provided the locals with everyday necessities. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the number of the Jewish community members decreased considerably. In 1933, the community consisted only of 186 Jews and – of 100 in 1938. Nevertheless, over following months all of the Jews left for bigger cities or foreign countries and the community was dissolved. It is known that members of at least 25 families that still lived in Kwidzyn in the early 1930s were killed in the Holocaust.
Jewish minority and Christian population lived in harmony. A proof may be found in a text of an ornithologist Ewald Lenski, dat
Summary
| Province: | pomorskie / inne (before 1939) |
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| County: | kwidzyński / Marienwerder (before 1939) |
| Community: | Kwidzyn / Marienwerder (before 1939) |
| Other names: | Quedin[j.łaciński] Marienwerder [j.niemiecki] |
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