THE MEMORIAL BOOK OF PÁPA JEWRY - JewishGen

DEVECSER
The Jewish community was founded in this town of 4,000 inhabitants in 1750. József
Lőwy was their first rabbi. He was succeeded by József Cohen, Mór Stern, Dr. Izsák Linksz and
Dr. Gábor Deutsch, who died a martyr's death.
The Wisdom of the Fathers (Atyák bölcs mondásai) and Family Happiness as the Source
of Blessing (Családi boldogság az áldás forrásai) edited by Dr. Linksz were popular throughout
the country. The outstanding rabbi served in Kőszeg later on, and was taken to his fate from
there. The Jewish community maintained an elementary school, which had only 22 pupils in the
1930s.
It was a neolog community, which served as a register for 14 small towns and villages
with a few Jewish families; among them only Somlóvásárhely had a larger community.
The Jews of Devecser were taken to the Pápa ghetto. One hundred and eighty of our
coreligionists became victims of the madness called fascism. Only 13 Jews survived. The last
community president Gyula Komlós lives in Budapest. From the 14 villages no Jews were left.
Memorial to the martyrs from Devecser
119