Saaz 1871–1938: Between Rupture and Return

Jewish Federation of Edmonton

Holocaust Education Committee

This exhibition takes the Saaz Synagogue as its central object. From its inauguration in 1872 to its destruction during the November Pogroms of 1938, the synagogue stands as evidence of a Jewish community that lived, thrived, and shaped the political, social, economic, and religious life of the city. Throughout this exhibition, we use both the historical German name Saaz and the contemporary Czech name Žatec to refer to the same city, now located in the Czech Republic.

The choice of Saaz/Žatec was informed in part by the testimony of an Edmonton Holocaust survivor who spent her youth between Saaz and Prague before the war, creating a connection between this history and the Edmonton community.

Drawing on sources from Saaz itself as well as materials on the wider Sudetenland and Nazi Germany, this exhibition places the experiences of the city's Jewish community within their broader historical context.

The restored building that stands today does not undo the loss caused by its destruction. It makes that loss visible.

This exhibition invites you to resist simple conclusions and embrace the complexity of history.

— Curatorial Team

Step in

The Synagogue - A Return

Saaz Synagogue in 1905 — Illustration of Saaz

E. Kutschera, Der Saazer Kreis in seinen interessantesten Darstellungen (1838).

https://data.onb.ac.at/rep/108464F1

In 1350, King Charles IV granted the local judge jurisdiction over the Jews of Saaz. In 1526, local burghers sought permission to expel them, but royal authorities initially restrained such efforts. On November 13, 1541, a violent mob attacked, looted, and killed Jewish residents. The Crown initially punished the town, but on June 15, 1543, Ferdinand I pardoned Saaz and authorized it to exclude Jewish residents.

What followed was three centuries of expulsion. A 1637 imperial rescript even forbade Jews from staying in Saaz overnight, and the 1650 Bohemian Diet confirmed that Saaz would remain completely free of Jewish settlements.

It was only after the revolution of 1848 that restrictions were removed, and Jews were allowed to return and settle in Bohemian lands.

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The Town of Saaz

Historic view of Žatec (Saaz) — Hops harvest in Saaz.

Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv (BayHStA), SdA Bilderslg 14219 (ca. 1900).

https://dfg-viewer.de/show?tx_dlf%5bid%5d=https://www.gda.bayern.de/mets/75aade71-5c91-494a-8710-17fdfd392fec

During the nineteenth century, Saaz became a world centre of the hops trade, exporting certified Saaz hops to breweries across Europe and beyond. Hops grown in the surrounding countryside were dried, processed, and prepared for export in facilities that shaped the town's industrial landscape. The industry brought prosperity and defined the character of Saaz.

Jewish residents played an important role in this success, particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century. Many worked in the trade and export of hops, and Jewish businesses and families formed an important part of local commercial life.

Czech, German, and Jewish residents all contributed to the development of the hops industry and the prosperity it generated. The synagogue reflects the Jewish community's place in the town's economic and social life and remains a witness to its involvement in the hops trade.

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Jewish Life in Saaz

The rabbis of Saaz connected the congregation to wider networks of Jewish scholarship. Educated in Breslau, Vienna, and Pressburg, they were scholars, writers, and community leaders.

Rabbi Dr. Abraham Frank consecrated the synagogue in 1872, while Rabbi Dr. Simon Stern served for nearly 40 years, from 1891 to 1930, edited the Jüdische Chronik (Jewish Chronicle), and led the Association of Bohemian rabbis. Rabbi Dr. Aron Baerwald, who served from 1881 to 1891, and Rabbi Dr. Simon Stern were both buried in Saaz, leaving a lasting presence in the town they served.

Their leadership made the synagogue a centre of learning, worship, and communal life.

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Kristallnacht

Historical image of Nazi troops in the Sudetenland — German Troops in Sudetenland, 02.10.1938

Deutsche Truppen im Sudetenland, Weltbild (Fotoagentur), (1938)

https://data.onb.ac.at/rep/10EECD6E

The Munich Agreement, signed on September 29, 1938, by Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy without Czechoslovakia's participation, forced the annexation of the Sudetenland to Germany.

Following the annexation of the Sudetenland, the Jewish population faced a wave of targeted terror and persecution. Jewish businesses and residents became victims of the Nazi occupation. Local German leadership aimed to destroy any means of existence for the Jewish community, forcing many to flee amidst widespread hostility.

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Sue Marxheimer

Sue Marxheimer - Life between Saaz and Prague and the impact of Kristallnacht

Courtesy of the Jewish Archives and Historical Society of Edmonton and Northern Alberta (JAHSENA)

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to explore this exhibit and engage with the stories it preserves. This project would not have been possible without the support of the many individuals who generously shared their time, expertise, feedback, and guidance throughout its development. We are sincerely grateful for their contributions. We would also like to acknowledge the Jewish Archives and Historical Society of Edmonton and Northern Alberta (JAHSENA) and the Žatec Synagogue for their assistance and support.