Brick half-timbered building with a red tiled roof, tall arched windows, and green shutters, photographed along a narrow street.
Jewish Communities
© Matthias Schlautmann

Historiscal Handbook of the Jewish Communities in Westphalia and Lippe

  • About the Project

    The Institute for Comparative Urban History, in cooperation with the Historische Kommission für Westfalen, has compiled the “Historisches Handbuch der jüdischen Gemeinschaften in Westfalen und Lippe” (Historical Handbook of the Jewish Communities in Westphalia and Lippe) – a four-volume lexical reference work covering the administrative districts (Regierungsbezirke) of Arnsberg, Detmold, and Münster. A separate volume titled “Grundlagen – Erträge – Perspektiven” (Foundations – Results – Perspectives) contextualizes the research findings of the three regional volumes within a broader historical framework.

    The handbook aims to offer an easily accessible overview of the history and contributions of the Jewish people in Westphalia and Lippe. It tries to ensure that the historical legacy and significance of the Jews and their communities are permanently woven into our cultural memory. Furthermore, by shedding light on the social complexities of the past, the publication seeks to foster openness and tolerance in contemporary society.

  • Project Duration

    2001–2016

  • Projekt Team

    The “Historical Handbook of Jewish Communities in Westphalia and Lippe” was produced under the auspices of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and was published by the Historische Kommission für Westfalen and the Institute for Comparative Urban History.

    Publisher

    Prof. Dr. Susanne Freund

    Prof. Dr. Frank Göttmann

    Prof. Dr. Karl Hengst

    Prof. Dr. Franz-Josef Jakobi

    Prof. Dr. Peter Johanek

    Prof. Dr. Wilfried Reininghaus

    Editors

    Prof. Dr. Susanne Freund

    Rita Schlautmann-Overmeyer

    Cartography

    Thomas Kaling

Publications

  • Volume 1

    © IStG

    This independent reference volume, published in November 2013, provides an overview of the period from the end of the Holy Roman Empire to the present day. It brings together the research findings of the three volumes on Arnsberg, Detmold and Münster, and situates the discussion of Westphalian Jewish history within the broader context of general Jewish history at a national level. It also documents the continuities and discontinuities in the historical development of the Jewish minority in the Westphalia-Lippe region.

    Bibliographical Data
    Historisches Handbuch der jüdischen Gemeinschaften in Westfalen und Lippe. Grundlagen – Erträge – Perspektiven, hg. v. Susanne Freund, Redaktion Anna-Therese Grabkowsky, Franz-Josef Jakobi und Rita Schlautmann-Overmeyer (Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission für Westfalen, NF 11), Münster 2013.

    (415 S., Festeinband, 2 Karten in Tasche. ISBN 978-3-87023-285-6)

    This publication is available for download.

  • Volume 2

    © IStG

    Bibliographical Data
    Historisches Handbuch der jüdischen Gemeinschaften in Westfalen und Lippe. Die Ortschaften und Territorien im heutigen Regierungsbezirk Münster, hg. v. Susanne Freund, Franz-Josef Jakobi und Peter Johanek. Redaktion: Susanne Freund, Anna-Therese Grabkowsky und Rita Schlautmann-Overmeyer. (Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission für Westfalen XLV: Quellen und Forschungen zur jüdischen Geschichte in Westfalen, Band 2, Teilband Münster), Münster 2008.

    PDF-file here

    (780 S., 1 Karte, gebunden. ISBN: 978-3-87023-282-59)

  • Volume 3

    © IStG

    Bibliographical Data

    Historisches Handbuch der jüdischen Gemeinschaften in Westfalen und Lippe. Die Ortschaften und Territorien im heutigen Regierungsbezirk Detmold, hg. v. Karl Hengst in Zusammenarbeit mit Ursula Olschewski (Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission für Westfalen Neue Folge 10), Münster 2013.

    (832 S., 1 farb. Karte, gebunden, ISBN: 978-3-87023-283-2)

    PDF-file here

  • Volume 4

    Bibliographical Data

    Historisches Handbuch der jüdischen Gemeinschaften in Westfalen und Lippe. Die Ortschaften und Territorien im heutigen Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg, hg. v. Frank Göttmann; Redaktion Wilfried Reininghaus, Burkhard Beyer und Rita Schlautmann-Overmeyer (Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission für Westfalen, Neue Folge 12), Münster 2016.

    (860 S., gebunden, ISBN 978-3-87023-284-9)

    PDF-file here

Contents of the Town Articles

The list includes all towns in the respective administrative districts with evidence of an independent Jewish community. In terms of content, the scope ranges from the earliest evidence of Jewish life to the present culture of remembrance and the development of the few Jewish communities that were re-established after the Second World War. The current political structure of these towns is based on the local government reorganisation, including the incorporations that took place up to 1975. The decision of which towns to include in the articles has been guided by criteria relating to Jewish community life, especially the existence of a dedicated prayer room or synagogue and/or a dedicated burial ground.

Coorperation and Funding

  • Cooperation

    The handbook was compiled in cooperation with the Historische Kommission für Westfalen at the Lanschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe (LWL).