Is there a large Jewish population in Germany?

Question

I was born in Germany and often get asked if I am Jewish. I wonder if jews returned to germany after the war or if a large enough population continued to live there after the war. I'm not trying to be funny.

Answer 1

Not really.  Germany has  more than 55 million people officially belong to a Christian denomination.

In 2004, twice as many Jews from former Soviet republics settled in Germany as in Israel, bringing the total Jewish population to more than 200,000, compared to 30,000 prior to German reunification. Large cities with significant Jewish populations include Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich.

Answer 2

Hi from Germany.

Germany has, according to stats, the third largest Jewish population in the world (after the U.S. and Israel), because of the re-immigration of Russian jews after reunification in 1990 and the following years. They had accepted Germany as a place where they will no longer be prosecuted for their belief (and trust in me, the Russians DID prosecute them, as they did with all religious beliefs), and Germany provided them safe refuge, which Israel probably couldn't because of their continuing struggle against the Palestinians. Now our biggest city (and capital), Berlin, hosts the biggest Jewish community in Europe, with other jewish communities in other bigger towns, like Munich or Cologne. For a good reason, they gather in the bigger towns, but some may live in small villages, too. I wouldn't know if my neighbor was a jew, because religion is not a topic of everyday talk. I myself am a catholic Christian on paper, but I never attend a mass, so, until it comes to philosophy, I don't know what my neighbor believes in.

Sure, jews are a minority. But they have always been, and German police is doing everything to protect their right to freedom of religion, as could be seen after 9/11, when for fear of attacks federal police went up (without uniforms) to protect jewish places in all bigger cities. This was done mostly under cover, but I know a guy who was on charge then.

In Berlin, there are some jewish shops, too, and I like their bagels, although I do not really understand the concept of "kosher". But must I? As to religion, I think, Christians and Jews share the same belief (at least as far as the Old Testament is concerned), and as to nutrition, well, I'd rather stay a Christian than anything else.

Answer 3

Depends how you define large. Some of those who fled during WW 2 did return, though many found it too hard given what had happened to their friends and relatives who weren't lucky enough to escape the Holocaust.

When the "Zentralrat der Juden" (central organisation of people who adhere to the "mainstream" of Jewish Faith) was founded in 1950, there were only 15,000 Jews still living in Germany. This number has grown, both organically and by people moving to Germany, mainly from former Soviet states. These days, the Zentralrat puts the number of people organised in its member congregations at 105,000.

So, compared to how few Jews used to live in Germany, the number today is somewhat larger, but still very small if you consider that according to the CIA World Fact Book, religious affiliation in Germany is Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%. Jews are a small percentage of that "other" category.

Answer 4

Some of them back again and they are having here big community. I think this is good. For me is everybody is the same and I like it, meeting different people.

Answer 5

Let me get you some back round. Jews came in the middle ages to Europe and where not allowed, as all aliens, to have a honorable trade like blacksmith or carpenter. They resorted to money lending. Most citizens didn't need money, they bartered, but the nobility needed money to equip soldiers, have big parties or taxes for the king. As money got more used, Jews gained influence and strutted around the villages in rich clothes, making the trades people question, why they worked all day hard for almost nothing. Jews started to lend money to kings for their wars and gained tremendous influence. Russia had 400 holocaust over 800 years, because people got upset every so often. By 1900, most European Countries had thrown their Jews out and there was a massive collection in Germany.

Hilter used the ill will of the masses, build up through centuries, to rally against the Jews. He warned the jews since 1933, to leave the country. The smart ones left, but Countries like the uSA didn't want to take them in and send passenger steamers with thousands on board back to Germany, wher they went straight to the Gas Chambers. Today, the entire Western World has a collective guilt complex, about mishandling the Jews, who never wanted anything, but have their place in the world. Chistanity, which up today blames the Jews for the death of Jesus, is a big part of the problem, that Jews are different from other people. I think, that Germany and the Jews have made peace with each other and only a few troublemakers on each side stir up old c**p once in a while.

Answer 6

This is not an answer to the initial question, sorry. This is referring to person above me:

I don't quite follow the explanation:

If Jews where aliens who were not allowed to take up artisan trades - where did they have the money from to be able to lend money to the Kings?

Did they have so much money that Kings would borrow money from them?

I can't visualise this at all?

Answer 7

They get alot of German money from holocaust.