Collection of Forms from the Registry of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki after the Great Fire of 1917 – 1923-1924

Collection of Forms from the Registry of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki after the Great Fire of 1917 – 1923-1924

224 forms (printed on 56 leaves), from the register of the Jewish community of Thessaloniki, recreated after the great fire in 1917, with names, places of residence and photographs. Thessaloniki, 1924. Ladino.

56 printed leaves, each bearing four declaration forms: "We the undersigned declare that […] is a native of Thessaloniki". The forms are filled in by hand, bear portrait photographs of those registered, and are signed by witnesses, members of the local Jewish community.

In the early 20th century, the Jewish community of Thessaloniki was one of the largest and most thriving Jewish communities in the Balkan. The Jewish community constituted nearly half of the population of the city. It had dozens of synagogues, Jewish and Hebrew schools, publishing houses, newspapers and even a modern, well-equipped Jewish hospital.
In 1917, an accidental fire that burned for 32 hours destroyed thousands of houses in the city, leaving some 70,000 people homeless. Along with the local houses, synagogues, schools, banks and offices, the fire destroyed the archives of the Jewish community which held records of centuries-long Jewish presence in Thessaloniki. In order to obtain compensation, the victims of the fire were required to prove residency, and so the Jewish community had to build a new community register. The present forms, part of the new register, state that the persons listed were indeed residents of the city.

56 ff., 33 cm. Condition varies (good to good-fair condition). Creases and stains (mostly minor). Closed and open tears to edges (some mended with tape).