The Jewish elementary school

Jewish elementary school
Jewish elementary school

The Gunzenhausen Jewish elementary school (1882 until 1938) was established following the Bavarian School Reform of 1824. Originally, in the mid 19th century, the school was situated at Mariusstrasse 13, in a property where the ritual baths were also located and where the Cantor and (Schächter) lived.  The space for the school proved inadequate and it was decided to build a new school together with the new synagogue in 1882.

Teacher Max Levite with the Jewish school children around 1932. This picture was provided by Max Weinmann from Argentina.

It was used as a Jewish elementary school until 1938 although by this time there were hardly any Jewish children left in the town.


Jewish elementary school, Hafnermarkt 18
The buildings of the Jewish elementary school, Hafnermarkt 18 (in front of the Synagogue) and of the Protestant elementary school, Marktplatz 43, in 1904. From old views of Gunzenhausen, W Lux.

All Jewish children attended this school. If they later wanted to switch to the Realschule, they could go to the only one in the city, which was located at Marktplatz 2 and was primarily intended for Christian students. But until the beginning of the Nazi regime, they went to school together and were friends with each other.

In 1970, the 115-year-old secondary school building was demolished and the new Steingass department store was built in its place. The students meanwhile attended the newly built grammar school at Simon-Marius-Straße 3.

The building of the former Jewish elementary school was demolished in 1981 and an underground parking garage was built on the site, with apartments and commercial property above.