Wikipedia

Alsenz is a small town in the Donnersbergkreis between Kaiserslautern and Bad Kreuznach.

From 1650 individual Jews settled in the village. In the middle of the 19th century, the community reached a strength of one hundred people. Due to rural exodus and moving to the cities, the number of Jews constantly decreased. At the time of National Socialism, only individual residents were left in the village.

In the village there was a synagogue with mikvah and school, in front of the village there was a cemetery.

The construction of the synagogue at 69 Langenstraße was started in 1786. A year later it was consecrated. In 1913 the synagogue was completely rebuilt. The second inauguration took place on September 16, 1913. On that day, the mayor at that time wished that the Jewish inhabitants* of Stralsund may continue to live together with the Christians in peace and solidarity. However, this peace did not last long. On the night of November 9-10, 1938, SA men and Hitler Youth destroyed Jewish stores and homes. They also partially destroyed the synagogue by setting it on fire.

The Wertheim family starts their business in a small tenement house at Wasserstraße 14 in Stralsund. After moving and expanding the properties, by 1927 they build a department store that spanned Ossenreyerstrasse 8 to 12. After Abraham's wife and children also joined the family business, they built a thriving department store. The Wertheim family introduced many new business principles, such as the right of return, and soon expanded until their department stores were also expropriated by the Nazis. The building standing on the site today still has the facade renovated in 1903. 

In1757, a royal mint was established in Stralsund at Tribseer Straße 24. The director of the "Mint" demanded from the Swedish government to be allowed to employ Jews*Jewesses. The Swedish government nevertheless issued an employment permit and a letter of protection for the Jews despite the residence ban, because they were needed for the purchase of old coins, for the procurement of precious metals and for cutting stamps. Only 12 Jews*Jewesses were allowed to settle in Stralsund because of protests.

The Stolpersteine on the sidewalk in Triebseerstraße 22 in Stralsund commemorate the Gerson family, which was resident there since 1735. Born on July 3, 1872, merchant and coal merchant Adolf Gerson was the husband of Johanna Gerson and father of Natan Gerson. Adolf was humiliated, dispossessed and harassed in 1938. He died of heart failure the same year. Johanna Gerson and son Natan were deported to Auschwitz in 1942 and murdered. Other family members were also taken to concentration camps and murdered. 

The Tietz family of merchants shaped the development of the department store industry in Germany with their ideas and innovations. On Aug. 14, 1879, Leonhard Tietz opened a store for woolen goods at Ossenreyerstrasse 31 in Stralsund. With Sally and Max Baumann, the brothers of Leonhard's wife Flora, he expanded into western Germany. In 1902 Leonhard opened a modern department store at Ossenreyerstrasse 19. He died on 14.11.1914 at the age of 65.