History of the Jewish Community of Schneidemuhl: 1641 to the Holocaust

Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2006. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. 10 1/4" x 7", x, 390 pages, black and white illustrations. Peter Cullman spent fifteen years compiling a history of Schneidemuhl (today Pila, Poland). The result is a portrayal not only of the Jewish minority, but also the community in which it resided. The book begins by describing the slow growth of this tiny Polish town and the arrival of Jews in the 16th century. The reader is provided a detailed account of the synagogues, the arrival of rabbis, and the changing nature of this community against a background of major European historical events. As a result of his painstaking research, the author was able to trace the fate of most members of the Jewish community as it existed in the 1930s, many of whom could emigrate in time and others who ultimately perished in the Holocaust. What is unusual in the book are the detailed person-by-person chronologies of many as they were deported, sent to various towns, labour camps and hospices, and their ultimate fate. An annotated Jewish burial register, 1854-1940, lists the names of more than nine-hundred persons. Today, nothing remains of Jewish Schneidemuhl, but the book brings to life what once was a small but vibrant and notable Jewish community. Illustrated boards, rubber stamped 'received' and dated 27 Jun 2006 on upper corner of front fixed endpaper, some spotting, possibly foxing, on title-page, faintly visible on succeeding page, bump to top of spine, otherwise a very good copy. Uncommon. .