The first Jewish settler came to Mogilno in 1780. He was followed by more of his fellow coreligionists in 1797–1798 (e.g. the families of Leser Lewin and Moser Arend, his son-in-law). In 1798, surgeon Joseph Hirsch resided in the town. He had received his training from surgeon Abraham in Inowrocław. The local Jewish community was probably formed in the late 1820s or early 1830s. In 1833, a Jewish cemetery was founded in Mogilno. Beforehand, the local Jews had buried their dead in Gębice and Trzemeszno. The statute of the Jewish community was approved on 25 August 1834. It had jurisdiction over all Jews living in the town and municipality of Mogilno. Until 1860, religious services were held in a rented hall, and in the years 1860–1874 – in a community building at 11 Kościuszki Street, converted into a synagogue. In 1902, a new synagogue was built at today’s Sądowa Street. Leopold and Max Lewin financed the installation of gas lighting. 

Since 1893, the post of the rabbi was held by Singel. However, the nearest rabbinates were located in Strzelno and Inowrocław. At the end of the 19^th century, the community was headed by a board comprising Fabribes, I. London, D. Drucker, M. Lewin. The deputies were H. Salomon, E. Hirsch, G. Gehr, H. London, L. Abraham, Arnold Cohn, H. Flatter.[1.1]

Most Jewish residents of Mogilno left the town after it became part of newly independent Poland. The community had 67 members in 1921, 13 in 1923, 12 in 1925, 17 in 1930, and again 17 in 1932. It was eventually dissolved, with the local Jews incorporated into the community in Inowrocław. In the first years of the Second Republic of Poland, the Mogilno community was headed by the board elected in 1917: Izydor Lewin (factory owner), Dawid Drucker (merchant), Maks Lewin (merchant), and deputies: Józef Salomon (financier), Izydor Lewin (merchant). The election scheduled for 1921 did not take place as only five community members were eligible to vote. In 1922, negotiations opened with kehillot in Inowrocław and Gniezno concerning a potential acquisition of the property of the Mogilno community and its merger. In December, the community of Mogilno voted in favour of joining the Gniezno kehilla. Earlier proposals to become part of the Pakość or Gębice communities were rejected.

The management board discontinued its activities in 1922. The local Jews declared the community defunct and informed the local governor of its dissolution in a letter dated 7 December 1922. All current issues were managed by former board member Maks Lewin. Ritual matters, such as shechita, were handled by an official commuting from Gniezno, and since 1932 – from Inowrocław (Dawidowicz, a shochet and assistant chazzan). The property of the community underwent decapitalisation. Services in the local synagogue ceased to be held after 1930, and the annual community budget was no longer adopted. After the passing of Maks Lewin, the last community elder (on 28 December 1929), the local Jews once again started to consider dissolving the community. The mayor of Mogilno supported their initiative by filing a pertinent petition to the district governor on 3 February 1930. Eventually, however, the community representatives (Maksymilian Malarek, Leon Sędziejewski, Hermann Gotlieb, Srul Radziejewski, Izrael Lubraniecki, Josek Kleinberg) backed out from the dissolution at a meeting with the mayor held on 14 January 1930. In order to break the stalemate, they proposed to appoint a community custodian. The post would be held by Maks Malarek, who would have two deputies: L. Sędziejewski and S. Radziejewski. However, the proposal was rejected.

The last election before the community’s dissolution took place on 2 March 1931. The elected board members were: Jankielewicz, Herman Gottlieb, and Wolf Jankielewicz. However, the results were annulled by the mayor on 31 April 1931 on the grounds of procedural mistakes. The local Jewish organisations, present in the town since the 19^th century, were mostly inactive. The community property included a synagogue on a plot of 0.0435 ha, a cemetery (est. 1830) with an area of 0.2004 ha, and arable land with an area of 0.1382 ha. The total value of immovable property was estimated at 6,750 zlotys. The community also had 644.21 zlotys in a bankbook.

In the 1930s, occasional boycotts of Jewish shops and merchants were organised. Jewish companies were struck by an economic boycott. Merchants arriving at local markets were screened beforehand – only Christians were allowed to participate. There was also an incident involving an unidentified culprit plating a bomb at the flat of a Jewish merchant from Mogilno.

The Jews of Mogilno were murdered by the Germans in September 1939. Some were shot on the spot, while the others were closed in the synagogue and killed with grenades thrown inside.

A Jewish labour camp operated in Mogilno since September 1941 until 7 September 1943. It was located in the buildings of a former monastery. Its prisoners were Jews deported from other localities. They performed various public utility works around the town. After the liquidation of the camp, its prisoners were sent to Auschwitz.[1.2]

Jews did not return to Mogilno after the war.

 Bibliography

• Kawski T., Gminy żydowskie pogranicza Wielkopolski, Mazowsza i Pomorza w latach 1918–1942, Toruń 2007.
• Kawski T., “Społeczność żydowska na pograniczu kujawsko-wielkopolskim w XX wieku,” in: Z dziejów pogranicza kujawsko-wielkopolskiego, D. Karczewski (ed.), Strzelno 2007, pp. 161–187.