In memory of: Shlomo Lewin and Frida Poeschke

Shlomo Lewin, born on May 13, 1911 in Jerusalem, trained as a rabbi like his father. During the Nazi era, he emigrated to Palestine and only returned to Germany in 1960. In Erlangen, he met his future partner Frida Poeschke (born May 23, 1923), the widow of former mayor Michael Poeschke († 1959).

Both were intensively involved in Jewish-Christian dialog. In 1975, Lewin took over the chairmanship of the Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation in Franconia. It is thanks to him and Ilse Sponsel that the annual Week of Brotherhood has been held in Erlangen since 1978. Shlomo Lewin was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his work in 1976.

Their commitment ultimately cost them both their lives. On December 19, 1980, Frida Poeschke and Shlomo Lewin were shot dead in their house in Ebrardstraße by a suspected member of the right-wing extremist Wehrsportgruppe Hoffmann. However, no one was convicted for this first anti-Semitically motivated murder in post-war Germany. The crime has still not been fully solved.

Commemoration in Erlangen

The fate of Poeschke and Lewin is remembered in many different ways in Erlangen. In 2010, the Lewin-Poeschke complex was named after them. Lord Mayor Florian Janik warns: "Right-wing terror after 1945 has been played down for too long and the victims have often been forgotten. Attacks and right-wing terrorism, but also the recent uncovering of right-wing networks in the police and the German armed forces, show this: We must take decisive action against the threat of right-wing extremism and right-wing violence. Politicians and security forces are just as much in demand as each individual - whether at work or in their private lives."

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the central municipal commemoration event could unfortunately not take place in 2020. Instead, four video contributions commemorating the murder are available on this website: from the Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann, Lord Mayor Florian Janik, the Chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Erlangen Esther Limburg-Klaus and the journalist Ulrich Chaussy. The documentary "Murdered by the Hands of Evildoers" by Daniel Harrich and Ulrich Chaussy, which is referred to in the videos, can also only be presented at a later date due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ulrich Chaussy is therefore making available the newly produced portrait video "Remembering two people who were wiped out - Shlomo Lewin and Frida Poeschke". In addition, the campus media funklust have dealt with Jewish life in Erlangen in a radio feature - click here for the article.