Short History of the Jewish Community 1. jewish parish First hints concerning the existence of jewish citizens in Bünde can be
found at the end of the 17th century (1687 Philip Leser appears in a tax list). Until the beginning of the 19th century jewish people had a special status. For example: they had to pay special taxes, they were restricted to settle down and in choice of professions (they were even not allowed to be a farmer)
During the French Revolution in 1791 laws of emancipation for french jews were issued. These laws were brought to german territory by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808, when he occupied Westfalia and other
provinces. (Bünde is located in Westfalia; in these days: the –french- Kingdom of Westfalia; King Gerome was a brother of Napoleon) So the emancipation of jewish people werde first established in
Germany. After Napoleon had left Westfalia, it became prussian. In the year 1812 Prussia accepted the emancipation laws
The jewish parish in Bünde was founded at the beginning of the 19th century. The synagogue was built in 1815; an elemantary school belonged to the parish. The leader of the parish was for almost 50 years Anschel Levison, followed by his son Moses Levison. Later (ca 1900) followed by: Alex Ganz, Heinemann Hoffbauer, Simon Blumenau, Julius Rosenwald and Theodor Rosenbaum. The parish had no rabbi itself, it was supervised by a rabbi from Bielefeld: Dr. Hans Kronheim.
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