Survey

History of the Jews in the province of Groningen

In the second half of the sixteenth century Jewish people occasionally settled in the City of Groningen. They practiced the profession of physician and were in the business of pawning. Not until the end of the 17th century new Jewish people would settle again in the city. Appingedam on the other hand knew since 1563 an almost continuous settlement of Jewish people. The local government of Appingedam gave Muesken, born in Prague, and his family in that year permission to live in the city for 6 years and to run a pawnshop. After permission of the local redgers (=judges) some Jewish people settled as of mid seventeenth century in Delfzijl (1655) and Farmsum and Nieuweschans (both towns about 1656). They were in the pawn business and worked as butchers as well.

Even a small Jewish Congregation came into existence in Appingedam. Their sermons were held in a home synagogue until in 1752 the prominent Jew Calmer Arents lent a house at the Dijkstraat to be used as synagogue. It was replaced by a new synagogue at the Broerstraat in 1801. Definitely since 1680 and possibly since 1655 there was a cemetery in Farmsum for the Jewish people in fore-mentioned towns. In 1763 the Damster Jews acquired their own cemetery located at the Heidensgang. The Jewish people in Delfzijl kept burying their deceased in Farmsum.

For most of the seventeenth century the Reformed Church, in the Province of Groningen showing a firm anti-Jewish attitude, attempted to use their influence on the secular arm to oppose the settlement of Jewish people. They fell, however, on deaf ears and shifted their activities in 1670 from barring to converting Jewish people. But they weren't very successful herewith either. At the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century many of the Jewish people settled predominantly in the southeast (the Peatmoor colonies) of the Province.

In other parts of the Province it happened on a smaller scale. Jewish Congregations came into being in towns where several Jewish people settled. They were ruled by Parnassim. The spiritual guidance was the responsibility of a Rabbi. Well-known Rabbis are Baruch de Beer in Veendam and Pekela, Aron Mozes Frankforter in Winschoten and Izak Jozefs Cohen and Samual Berenstein in Groningen. Larger Jewish Congregations had a synagogue (Pekela 1737 and 1792; Veendam 1745 and 1798; Winschoten about 1771) and cemetery as well (Pekela 1693; Veendam 1741; Leek 1783; Winschoten 1797 and Nieuweschans 1811). The smaller Jewish Congregations had to manage with so-called home synagogues and buried their deceased at nearby Jewish cemeteries.

Jewish people could not settle freely in cities and nation. They had to request permission from the competent authorities. In 1754, 1765, and 1774 the authorities issued regulations, applying to all of the Province, for the settlement of Jewish people. These didn't prevent the illegal settlement of Jewish people. As for practicing a profession the Jewish people weren't free either. In rural areas they were only allowed to slaughter, sell meat, and carry on trade.

In the city they only could occupy themselves with trade of assorted goods. Practicing of most other professions was regulated by guilds here. Jewish people could eventually become members of the merchant guild and occasionally of other guilds.

The proclamation of the civil equal treatment in 1796 ended the civil exception position of the Jewish people. In 1808 Louis Napoleon called the so-called Upper Consistory into existence. On behalf of the ministry of Honorary Services this institution administered all Jewish Congregations.

Herewith the autonomy of the Jewish Congregations were bygone. Purpose of this administrative order was to integrate the Jewish people with their own culture and language into society. This emancipation policy was further expanded by King William I after the restoration of the independence in 1814.