Imagine arriving in Zeilsheim, 12 miles west of Frankfurt after surviving the Holocaust. This was the DP-Lager, a displaced persons camp. For many Jewish survivors, the end of World War II brought new challenges. Many could not return to their former homelands. Legal immigration options were limited.
Despite these difficulties, these Jewish survivors sought to rebuild their lives. They created flourishing communities in displaced persons camps. This happened in Germany, Austria, and Italy. Zeilsheim became one of these important camps. Between 1945 and 1951, European Jewish life was reborn here.
Originally, the DP-Lager was a camp for Russian forced laborers. Zeilsheim then requisitioned German homes. These were small townhouses to accommodate inhabitants of the DP-Lager. Though Zeilsheim was considered one of the preferable DP camps, living conditions were still crowded.
An American Army chaplain described it. The camp was originally set up for 1,800 DPs. In October 1945, it was bursting with 5,500 people. Living conditions were beyond description. In a two-bedroom flat, three families lived there. Seven people in total. One couple for each bedroom. Another couple with a 16-year-old boy in the living room. If a friend visited, they set up a cot in the kitchen. This was a typical flat in Zeilsheim.
Streets and buildings were named after towns and kibbutzim in Palestine. Another camp, Lampertheim, opened in December 1945. It housed the growing number of DPs.
Zeilsheim maintained a vibrant Jewish life. There was a theatrical group. They had a synagogue and a jazz orchestra. A sports club was named “Chasmonai”. Several schools existed. These included an ORT vocational training institute and a nurse training school. The camp had a library with 500 books. Two Yiddish newspapers circulated: Unterwegs and Undzer Mut. A special group interviewed child survivors of the Holocaust. The Jewish population reached 3,570 in October 1946.
Zeilsheim was the site of many protests. These were against British policy on Jewish immigration to Palestine. Judah Nadich frequently visited the camp. He was General Eisenhower’s advisor on Jewish affairs. He ensured the DPs’ basic needs were met. David Ben Gurion also visited. He was the chairman of the Jewish Agency and future Prime Minister of Israel. His visit was pivotal for the Jewish DPs. Eleanor Roosevelt inspected Zeilsheim in February 1946.
She wrote about her visit. Her heart ached for the six million dead Jewish people. She wondered when consciences would grow tender. When will we act to prevent misery instead of avenging it?
The camp closed on November 15, 1948. The U.S. Army wanted to return the houses to workers from the IG Farben plant. Rabbi Bernstein believed it would be cruel to inconvenience the DPs. Nearly all were concentration camp survivors. He warned that evacuation would require force. The army postponed the idea until July 1948. They renewed the plan after Israel’s establishment. Conceding to the camp committee, the army postponed the transfer to November 15, 1948. Even then, survivors protested the move.
Today, a small monument remains. It stands in the park behind the city hall. It is dedicated to the memory of this community. It reminds us of the resilience and rebirth of Jewish life.