Jewish hospital
The first Jewish hospital in Wroclaw was a facility built in 1744, located in the heart of the Jewish district, at the present Włodkowica 25. As it was a rather small establishment serving mainly as a nursing home and hospice, one hundred years later, it was moved to a larger building – to the present św. Antoniego 15. However, when this place was no longer sufficient, the hospital was moved to a newly built building at today’s Sudecka Street. This location was not accidental because Borek already comprised other Jewish institutions, including a cemetery and numerous foundations, and many prominent Jewish entrepreneurs lived in the villa estate. Richard and Paul Ehrlich, one of the most famous and respected architects in Silesia, were responsible for the design of the hospital building. Their activity in pre-war Wroclaw was spectacular – they designed several dozen buildings, both for the Jewish community and for private customers. In addition to the hospital, they designed, i.e. buildings in the Old and New Jewish Cemeteries, tenement houses in the city centre and numerous villas and seats of institutions.
The Jewish hospital was built at the beginning of the 20th century and was one of the most modern in Germany. The impressive complex consisted of six buildings, including an administrative block and a separate pavilion for infectious diseases. There was also a small synagogue in the hospital, a kosher kitchen and a library for the sick. Until the beginning of the 1930s, the institution grew and dynamically expanded its activities. Although the founders of the institution were Jewish residents of Wroclaw, this place served everyone, regardless of religion. The stay of the poor in the hospital was paid either by the Jewish community or by private donors. In 1939, the hospital was taken over by the Nazis and served as a lazaretto. Only some of the staff and patients remained in it. The Jewish hospital closed down in 1943 – the patients were first transported to the Theresienstadt ghetto, and later to extermination camps.
Library in the Jewish hospital (Poloniae Amici)
The Jewish hospital in Wroclaw was the second largest facility of this type in Germany, followed only by the Berlin hospital. Like any major medical institution, it was also a prestigious place for education and research. The medical team consisted of eminent specialists, including Professor Ludwig Gutman, Professor Georg Gottstein and Siegmund Hadda, owing to which the hospital enjoyed a reputation in this part of Europe. It is worth noting that both Hadda and Gutman survived the Holocaust and successfully continued their medical careers after the war – the first in the United States, and the second in Great Britain, where, in addition to treatment, he dealt with rehabilitation and was a precursor of the Paralympic movement, for which he was awarded the title of nobility.
Next to the hospital, at Sztabowa 93, there was the Jewish Center for the Chronically Sick. It was a separate charity institution financially supported by foundations and private donors. It served mainly the elderly or people requiring palliative care. On the other hand, at the present Wiśniowa 81, there was the Jewish Center for the Care of Old People named after Julius and Anna Schottländer. Next to it, there was the Jewish Nursing Home, which educated future staff working in nearby health centres.
Synagogue in the Jewish hospital (Poloniae Amici)
Care institutions
Among the many institutions that helped the inhabitants of Wroclaw in need, we can distinguish the Beate Guttman Foundation for Lonely Women, which was located at today’s Wiśniowa 36a, where men were also admitted over time. The building also housed the Paula Ollendorf Household School, whose patron was an educator and an extremely important social activist. Placing two institutions in one building was an excellent solution, as the students occasionally also acted as nannies. The Jewish Women’s Association was also active there, and it was possible to use the prayer room. Nearby was the Louis and Fanny Hille Foundation for homeless, elderly persons. The building at Saperów 22/24 was designed by Richard and Paul Ehrlich.
The tenement house at today’s Grabiszyńska 61-65 served as a Jewish orphanage from the end of the 19th century. The Jewish Museum also organized its exhibitions in this building. The facility served the city until 1943, and when it was closed, the children were sent to extermination camps. After the war, the building housed a kindergarten and a dormitory for Jewish youth.
In order to fully understand the importance of numerous foundations and organizations supporting the people in need, we should mention the tzedakah – one of the basic ideas of Judaism. Charity and almsgiving is not only the fulfilment of God’s commandments, but for many Jews, also non-religious ones, it is a moral duty of everyday life. The core of most institutions were, of course, the richest patrons and the Jewish community, and support also came from the less wealthy Jewish inhabitants of the city. Therefore, the charity was a way of ensuring the self-financing of the Wroclaw community. Caring for the education of children and young people, both secular and religious, supporting artists, caring for orphans, sick and elderly people, as well as financial and social assistance were the main goals of several dozen foundations and associations in pre-war Wroclaw.
In addition to the above-mentioned, there was also the eminent Jonas Fränkel Foundation, responsible for the establishment and maintenance of many charitable institutions and initiating the activity of the Jewish Theological Seminary. The Foundation’s office was located in a tenement house designed by Albert Grau at today’s Ofiar Oświęcimskich Street, and its beauty can still be admired today. In addition, the following institutions operated in Wroclaw: the Union for the Upbringing of Jewish Children in Need of Care, the Jewish Youth House, the Anabet Achim Brothers and Friends Society, the Association for the Protection of Children, the Housing Foundation, the Jewish Food House (Jewish People’s Kitchen) and the Jewish Scientific and Reading Union.
Jewish schools
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, over a dozen Jewish schools operated in Wroclaw, both public and private, which differed in teaching methodology and the degree of commitment to tradition. Young people of Jewish origin successfully studied in German schools, especially in renowned middle schools. One such popular Christian school was, for example, St. Elizabeth. The most important institution established by Jews was the Wilhelm School, established in 1790, which was a progressive secular educational institution for Jewish boys. It was located in the then Jewish district at today’s Krupnicza Street. This school was one of the first in Germany to break with the orthodox tradition in favour of liberal teaching. The facility operated until 1848, and its program included many modern and secular subjects, such as geography, foreign languages, history and nature. Apart from Yiddish, the children also learned German and French. The school curriculum was created in the spirit of the Haskalah, i.e. Jewish enlightenment, and made it easier for Wroclaw Jews to acculturate by acquiring knowledge that went far beyond religious content. The popularity of the school, however, decreased with each year, so in 1848 it was closed.
The first Jewish school for girls in Wroclaw was the Industrial School for Poor Jewish Girls, which was established in 1801 and located at the present Św. Antoniego Street. There, the students were trained to run a home in accordance with the religious principles of Judaism and were taught basic crafts, such as tailoring. This school operated until 1920.
The Jewish school at Żelazna 57 Street has a long history and is one of the few examples of the continuation of the pre-war idea also in the post-war reality. The building designed by Richard and Paul Ehrlich, still has an educational function that was granted to it by German Jews at the beginning of the 20th century. The school operated there since 1920, educating children and youth in the Reform spirit – the program included both religious and secular subjects, as well as several foreign languages. The facility enjoyed a reputation and prepared for studies all those who were interested in acquiring higher education. However, it could not be complete without a synagogue and a kosher kitchen. The school’s activity ended in 1941 when the Nazis took over the building and made it a home for the Hitlerjugend.
After the Nazis came to power, Jewish children were ordered to learn in one school in the city, but since there were so many of them, it was impossible. Therefore, a liberal high school was established near the New Synagogue in 1934. It served primarily those students who were forbidden to study in German institutions. This school, located at today’s Łąkowa Street, had a vocational nature – it was possible to gain practical skills in various fields: from carpentry, through shorthand, to the basics of business. It was closed right after Kristallnacht, and the building was taken over by the Nazis. In makeshift conditions, children were educated in the buildings of the Jewish community, but this situation lasted only until 1942.