Tragom nestale židovske zajednice

Abstract

Jedine dvije židovske općine na tlu današnje Varaždinske županije postojale su u Varaždinu te Ludbregu. U odnosu na mnogobrojniju i stariju varaždinsku općinu, osnovanu još 1777. godine, Izraelitička bogoštovna općina Ludbreg pripadala je u red mlađih i, po broju članova, najmanjih židovskih zajednica u Hrvatskoj. Osamostalivši se potkraj 19. stoljeća od koprivničke općine, po svom daljnjem radu nije odskakala od ostalih - u Ludbregu se vodio bogat društveni život, slavili se vjerski praznici, izmjenjivali se rabini. Od početka 20. stoljeća broj članova židovske zajednice počinje opadati, a Drugi svjetski rat potpuno je uništio ovu najmanju zajednicu u Hrvatskoj. Poslije 1945. godine, u Ludbregu se našlo desetak Židova - neki su poslije toga zauvijek napustili Ludbreg i Hrvatsku.

The first mention of Jews as related to Ludbreg appeared in the year 1768 when the Jews of the Hungarian parish Zala complained about having to pay fines at the Ludbreg Fair. They tended to stay in each place for several days to trade but were required to pay various fees since they were not welcome by local authorities. More significant immigration from the Austrian territories and Hungary began at the end of the 18th century. At that time Jews began settling in larger towns such as Varazdin, Koprivnica, and Krizevci, later migrating to Ludbreg, the market town then ruled by the Counts of Bethany. The middle of the 19th century saw an increase in the number of Jews who settled in these parts, and their number grew to 265, according to records from the year 1900. Most of them lived in Ludbreg but were also present in practically all of the surrounding villages where they were mostly shop or restaurant owners or ran small industrial enterprises (brickyards, flour mills and mines). Some individuals were involved in more profitable pursuits such as medicine, law and banking. Ludbreg's Jews emerged from the Koprivnica Jewish community in 1881 and established the “Religious Israelite Community of Ludbreg”. The first official rabbi of the community, Leopold Fleishman, was mentioned in 1885; the community cemetery was founded in 1890. The year 1895 is the date that marks the construction of the synagogue in Ludbreg. This synagogue was destroyed in 1942 and razed after WWII. Ludbreg’s Jews participated in the activities of most of the town’s economic and cultural associations. They were also engaged in the activities of their societies: Chevra Kadisha, Jewish Social Work Association, and the Zionist association “Agudat Zion”. Jews were well integrated into the daily life of Ludbreg so there was practically no overt anti-Semitism. There are, however, records of riots that occurred in the years 1903 and 1918 when rioters devastated some Jewish shops and the bank. Later, as World War II engulfed this area, so began the persecution of Jews. Most of the Jews perished in concentration camps: Jasenovac, Loborgrad, Đakovo, Jadovno, and Auschwitz. A total of about 160 Jews who had lived in the Ludbreg area or had their origins here were killed; only 50 survived the War, mostly those who joined the partisans or were hidden during the entire period of the war. Nothing remains of the former Jewish community of Ludbreg but a few survivors, their former homes, and a small cemetery.