eventually released. In the meantime, all the buildings of the Jewish community
on Pocztowa Street were secretly set on fire, including the magnificent
synagogue (the Central Jewish Synagogue), the rabbi’s residence, the kehillah
offices, the poultry slaughterhouse, the mikvah, kosher butcher shops, the
educational institute, the kehillah staff flats, all fully modernised and richly
equipped, as well as a privately-owned glass and steel warehouse. The synagogue
[3] had been rebuilt in the Eastern European style¹³⁶² during the revival
of the Jewish community. After the hostages were released, Jewish men left
the town, leaving in their place only Jewish women, who found themselves in
an uncomfortable position. They attempted to salvage their few possessions
as best they could, but that too soon came to an end. One fine morning, all
the Jewish women who were left, as well as the children, were arrested, and
remain so to this day. The Jewish population of Brodnica and the neighbouring
towns is now spread far and wide in all corners of the country. Many of
them perished during the wartime bombardment or in other circumstances.
Some are in Russia, and many of them are now in Warsaw, dying out and suffering
hunger and other hardships, lacking the most basic human necessities.
They arrived here desperate, robbed of everything, without any means of
existence, and are wholly dependent on the charity of the Jewish aid organisations
in Warsaw. Thus did a flourishing Jewish community come to ruin,
and can serve as an example of a whole series of other Jewish communities
in Poland.
22 April 1941
ARG I 699 (Ring. I/795)
Description: duplicate (2 copies), handwritten (BW*), pencil, Yiddish,
148×210 mm, 6 sheets, 6 pages. In the margins the sign: “=” (green ink).
The document was kept in a binder.
Edition based on first copy of duplicate, 3 sheets, 3 pages.
1362 The only known picture of the synagogue does not allow us to understand what the author had in mind.
