Westendorf 15 und 15a
38820 Halberstadt
Germany
On the basis of a private foundation of the Halberstadt merchant Hirsch (Zwi) Köslin (d. 1795), the general Jewish school "Hascharath Zwi" was founded in May 1796. Its main purpose was to impart basic religious as well as secular knowledge to children from poor families - an innovative concept for the traditional Jewish communities of the late 18th century. After rather modest beginnings at Judenstraße 27 (from 1797), the "Hascharath Zwi" was reformed after 1824. In 1827, a first class of girls was established and another school building was occupied at Judenstraße 18. After reconstruction of the area of the Klaussynagoge also the "Hascharath Zwi" moved 1858 into the half-timbered building in the Rosenwinkel 18.
On the 100th anniversary of the founding of the school in 1896, planning began for a modern new school building, which was inaugurated in August 1899 at Westendorf 15. The actual school building was located in the backyard (today Westendorf 15a), the front building housed the rabbi's and teacher's apartments, and for a time also the Israelite day nursery and the office of the synagogue community.
Halberstadt's "Hascharath Zwi" remained neo-orthodox in orientation into the 20th century. Around 1924 it still had up to 300 pupils*, then its numbers declined. In 1931 Jakob Lundner was appointed principal, and he was to remain the last. After 1933, the Nazi authorities intensified the pressure until the tradition-rich "Hascharath Zwi" had to be finally closed in the summer of 1941 - 145 years after its founding.
On Palm Sunday, April 12, 1942, Jakob and Klara Lundner were deported to Warsaw with six of their children. Only the eldest daughter, Beate, managed to escape beforehand. In 2001, the Halberstadt elementary school "Miriam Lundner" was named after the youngest, Miriam (born 1938). At the renovated residential house Westendorf 15 today a memorial plaque next to the courtyard passage and a Star of David at the back of the house remind of the former use.
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