Germany Letter Jewish RARE Judaica 1938 German Nienburg Synagogue Leo Weinberg

After the Nazis seized power in 1933, anti-Semitism appeared to have shown its face openly in the small town of Nienburg; according to reports, the SA controlled the streets of Nienburg in 1934. At the end of 1934, the state council had to write to the mayor of Nienburg asking him to refrain from any acts of violence against Jews. Since 1935, Jews have been increasingly emigrating from Nienburg to seek anonymity in larger cities or to seek refuge abroad.

During the pogrom night of November 1938 - at this point only about 40 Jews were still living in Nienburg - SA squads demolished Jewish shops and searched homes. The gangs were led by SA Standartenführer Paul Remane. The synagogue was not set on fire because of the danger to the surrounding half-timbered houses, but was demolished in the following days.

All 18 Jews still remaining in Nienburg were deported at the end of March 1942

The " Elisabeth Weinberg Prize " was awarded for the first time in 2001. This award recognizes young people in the Nienburg district who show civil courage against violence and who are exemplary in their commitment to the common good and a tolerant, humane society. The "Elisabeth Weinberg Prize" commemorates a young woman from Nienburg whose fate is representative of many victims of National Socialism. Elisabeth ("Liesel") Weinberg was born in Hanover on March 30, 1922 and lived with her family in Nienburg, who ran a livestock business on Hafenstrasse until 1937. Elisabeth's father Leo Weinberg was the last head of the Jewish community. On March 28, 1942, 19-year-old Elisabeth was deported along with her parents and 16 other Jewish residents of Nienburg and then murdered.