It is probable that the first Jews already lived in Opole before the city was even established, which we know to have taken between 1211 and 1217. 

In the mid-14th century, the Black Death broke out in Śląsk, which led to another disaster, famine. The local people, trying to blame this on someone, accused the Jews of poisoning a well. This resulted in a bloody pogrom within the city in 1349[1.1]. It is most probable that, at the time, Jews ran a school in Opole[1.2].

Another historical reference, which confirms a Jewish presence in Opole. dates from 1396 and states that Prince Bolko IV sold a house, near the Holy Cross Cemetery, which had once belonged to a Jew named Izaak[1.1.2].

At the beginning of the 15th century, most of the Jewish residents of Opole made their living through trade and granting loans to Princes (according to Canon law, charging interest financial loans was banned throughout, what was then, Europe). This is to be confirmed by the fact that, in 1426, Prince Bolko IV owed two Jewish brothers from Opole, Mosze and Dawid, 40 and 124 grzywnas, respectively[1.3].

In 1427, Prince Bolko IV’s brother, Bernard, permitted a Jew, Abraham from Ziębice, his family and all the people he employed, to settle in Opole for ten years. This settlement privilege allowed for Jews to settle, once again, in Opole. It also allowed for a Jewish school to be opened in a private home[1.4].

The centre of Jewish life in Opole was in, what is today, ul. Św. Wojciecha. By1451, it had already been called Judengasse. Situated on it was a Jewish school (made possible by Prince Bernard’s 1427 privilege) and, most probably, a synagogue or a house of prayer. The possibility of a small Jewish cemetery also being located here cannot be ruled out[1.5].

Passionate speeches made by a monk, Jan Kapistrano, brought about a wave of pogroms and expulsions of Jewish residents in Śląsk in 1453. In that same year, Abraham, a Jew, was accused in Opole of profaning the Host. After a court trial, he was sentenced to a martyr’s death.

Numerous historical references to the Jews of Opole date from the early 16th century. In the years 1532 and 1533, around 70-90 Jews (8 families; 5.1% of the entire population) lived in the city[1.6]. Among them were eight home owners and six tenants. They paid 8 Hungarian guldens, 4 guldens and 18 groszy in a monetary levy. Most of the local Jews were traders, money lenders or craftsmen. They had a synagogue and a school[1.7].

Historical documents from 1557 and 1563 mention two Jews (Marek and Natan), whose job it was to install windows in the Opole castle[1.8]. In 1557, the Jews of Opole paid 26 guldens and 16 groszy in taxes and, in 1564, 24 guldens and 32 groszy. In the 1560's, the number of Jews in Opole was estimated at about 100 people (approx. 5.0 % of all residents). Sources from 1563–1564 state that the first rabbi of Opole was Benedykt, also known by the name Rabbi Benedix [1.9].

In 1562, the assembly of the Principality of Opole and Racibórz adopted a resolution which obliged Jews to sell their houses, pay their debts and to leave the principality within a year [1.10]. This resulted in their removal from Opole in 1563 and, two years later, in 1565, there was not a single Jew within the city[1.11]. Franciszek Idzikowski confirms this when he states in his writings,: […] many Jews are selling their houses, all of which are situated on ul Podgórna. The Jews are Rabbi Benedykt, Abraham Baruch, Kokot, Jokel, Murdoch (who lived opposite Proskowski’s house), Naason, Samuel’s wife (whose house stood between the Jewish school and Bartek Kozel’s house) as well as Pinkus[1.12]. The 1566 Urbarium (a type of register) referred to all these Jews as “the expelled ones”. The houses which they did not manage to sell became the property of the city (and were sold shortly thereafter) [1.13].

In the second half of the 17th century, Polish Jews maintained business relationships with Silesian Jews. Merchants from the Republic of Poland would come to fairs to Wrocław, Brzeg, Nysa and Opole[1.14].

In May 1713, Emperor Charles VI issued a Tolerance Edict (Toleranzpatent) which permitted Jews to settle in Śląsk upon payment of a special tolerance tax. It also provided them with the opportunity to peddle goods within Śląsk, excluding, however, the towns of Prudnik, Głubczyce, Racibórz, Koźle, Opole and Nysa. If Jewish traders attempted to sell their good in those places, in defiance of the ban, all their stock would be confiscated. However, the Jews did find a way to circumvent this regulation by taking up residence on the outskirts of cities where they wanted to sell their goods.

During the first Śląsk War, in 1742, most of Śląsk, excluding Cieszyn Silesia and the Principality of Opava, was incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia. In December 1746, the Prussian authorities forced the Opole Town Council to  allow Prague Jew, Issac Elias Haber, his family and servants, to settle in the city (In 1750, he left Opole following the failure of his business)[1.15].

During the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), Prussia faced an extremely difficult economic situation. In order to mitigate the consequences of this economic crisis, the Prussian authorities granted special privileges to Jewish manufacturers and entrepreneurs. They were issued with a so-called right to naturalization (Naturalisationspatente) which, however, was intended for a very small group of the Jewish community. Two Jewish merchant families jumped at the opportunity and settled down in Opole in 1761. In 1765, the Jewish merchant Marcus Pinkus opened a leather soles workshop here, where he employed four people. In 1766, fifteen Jews lived in the city[1.1.7].

In 1766-1807, the number of Jews in Opole rose from 15 to 30. They were herb, spice and tobacco wholesalers[1.16]. The Opole Jewish community opened its own school and prayer-house in private rented rooms. Opole Jews belonged to the Biała Prudnicka Jewish Community Council and it was there that they buried their dead[1.1.7].

On August 3, 1781, the Wrocław Administration Office issued a regulation on the issue Jewish settlement in the cities of Górny Śląsk. The cities, where the old imperial de non tolerandis Judaeis privilege was still in force, were not obliged to accept Jews. They included Niemodlin, Głogówek, Głubczyce, Prudnik, Racibórz and Tarnowskie Góry. Meanwhile, the cities that did not have this privilege (e.g. Byczyna or Opole), a fixed number of Jews residents were now permitted to trade. In all other towns Jews could business freely, excluding, such commodities as spices and ironware. This regulation concerned, for example, the city of Gliwice. All the provisions that put a ban on any form of craft by Jews were defined in September[1.17].

In 1807, eight Jewish families (31 people) lived in Opole. Four years later, in 1811, of the 3,339 total residents, 43 were Jewish (1.3%)[1.1.7].

Due to the emancipation edict which was enacted in 1812. in that same year, the the Opole Jewish Community Council became independent, with forty eight members at that time. Shortly thereafter, it sought to establish its own cemetery and, in July 1816, was granted permit for that purpose. The cemetery was opened outside the city, within the village of Nowa Wieś Królewska, on a parcel acquired for 600 thalers. Gimpel Pozner, a teacher, who died in the autumn of 1821, was the first to be buried in this cemetery. The Chevra Kadisha burial society was eatablished in 1839.

As referred to by Władysław Dziewulski, the first Jews became naturalised as Prussian citizens on 10th February 1814 [1.18].

Initially, the Opole Jewish Community Council was too poor to build its own synagogue. In the years 1812-1822, the congregation leased, in turn, several prayer rooms in the city and, from 1827 on, a room in the old Franciscan monastery. It could also not afford to employ a rabbi and services were conducted by those community members who were the most well-versed in religious matters. At the same time, Jews began to be legally accepted as citizens of Opole, this way gaining the right to live in the city.

In 1822, the Opole Jewish Community Council was granted a permit to establish a one-grade Jewish primary school, which operated until the mid-1870's. Jewish trade and enterprise flourished along with the growth of the Opole Jewish communiyu. In 1924, Marcus Friedlaender (1800–1876) opened the Zamkowy Brewery, which was relocated to Pasieka in 1870. Through his businesses. Friedlaender grew very rich. For her charity work, his wife Julia received the Order of Louise First Class (the highest recognition for women in Prussia). In 1828, there were 713 (1.2% of the entire population) Jews in Opole [1.19]. In 1837, their number increased to as many as 329 (4.8% of all the residents.

The growing Jewish community in Opole built its synagogue on ul. Szpitalna in the years 1840-1841. Liberal Rabbi Abraham Geiger from Wrocław took part in the consecration service was held at the end of December 1841. It was a symbol of victory for Reform Judaism over Orthodox Judaism in Opole. In 1847, for the first time, the community permanently employed its first rabbi, Dr. Salomon Cohn from Biała Prudnicka[1.1.7].

By 1852, the number of Jews living in Opole had risen to 533. Following ratification of a resolution in 1855. the Jewish Community Council became a legal entity. Under its constitution, it was to be headed by two elected bodies, the Board of Management and a Council of Representatives. Dr. Adolf Wiener was elected as the new rabbi of Opole in 1853. 

The years that followed were a time when the Jewish community in Opole grew richer. In 1859, Jacob Engel opened a cigar factory. Heymann Pringsheim, a brewery owner, launched a new business - a cement works in Nowa Wieś Królewska. (It was later taken over by a company owned by two bankers from Wrocław). There were also other Jewish businesses in the city such as the breweries owned by Noe Danzinger and Joseph Boronow, the cement works owned by Schottlaender and Giesel, the wine shop owned by the Guradze-Wolff brothers, Salomon Kassel's liquor store and liqueur factory and Samuel Gurassy's clothes shop. Adolf Wittner and Hermann Proskauer sold imported commodities and Siegfried was a timber merchant. Fritz Friedlaender, from Gliwice, owned textile factories[1.20].

The Jewish population gained their full equal rights in the then North German Confederation through an Act introduced on 3rd July 1869 and which remained in force even after the unification of Germany in 1871[1.21]. Under these new conditions, the Jews of Opole quickly became the cultural, political and economic elite of the city, which was attested to by the election of wealthy brewery owner Siegfried Friedlaender, in 1875-1888 elections,  as Mayor of Opole. Julius Pringsheim was a City Councilor and,  on 4th November 1899, he received the title of Stadtaeltester der Stadt Oppeln (Elder of the City of Opole) from the City Council[1.22].

The most well-known attorney in the city was Adolph Jungmann (1859–1920). Doctors included Bernhard Friedlaender, Freund, Max Troplowitz and Ismar Schlesinger. Alfred Heymann was a dentist and Ernst Muhr a pharmacist. In 1873, amongst the 48 wealthiest residents of Opole, there were as many as eighteen Jews. At that time, the community also employed a cantor, a teacher, a shammes, a shochet and a synagogue janitor and, in later years, a gardener and a nurse also[1.23].

Despite the fact that Jews grew in number in the second half of the 19th century, their proportion in the Opole’s entire population was gradually reducing. In 1864, there were 664 Jews, constituting 6.35% of all residents. In 1885, there were 764 (4.8%)[1.24]. By 1900, their number had grown to 696, but the proportion had reduced to as little as 2.3%.

The Union of Górny Śląsk Synagogue Communities was established in 1872. This included Opole. It held a conference at Schüers Hotel on 23rd October 1888. Following a stormy discussion, the organization was transformed into the Union of Synagogue Communities of the Opole Regierungsbezirk. Its main tasks were to fight anti-Semitism, put ean mphasis on educating Śląsk Jews and to build Jewish orphanages[1.25].

On 1st February1892, Rabbi Adolf Wiener became the only Jewish resident of Opole to become an honorary citizen of the city. This event proved that the Jewish community in Opole was growing in importance. The Zionist organization and the B’nai B’rith organization became active within the city.

In the 1890's,  the Jewish Community Council decided to build a new synagogue built, for which they purchased a parcel of land on Hafenstrasse (today’s ul. Piastowska). Designed by architect Felix henry, construction took place between 1893 and 1897. The old synagogue building was sold at auction. The new synagogue, consecrated in June 1897 by Rabbi Leo Baeck, contained a prayer hall for 600 worshippers, a small prayer room, a community library, an archive, a meeting room for the Community Council and a room for liturgical equipment. Its location, near the city centre and only a short distance away from a historic castle, proved the strong position of Jews in Opole ,who were active participants in the city's political, cultural and economic life. The same year, Rabbi Leo Baeck became Rabbi of Opole and it was here that he wrote his most famous book called Das Wesen des Judentums (The Essence of Judaism) [1.1.22]. Rabbi Baeck supported the idea that German Jews should assimilate and openly expressed his negative attitude towards emigration.

In the early 20th century, the Jewish community of Opole was still the political elite of the city. In 1901, two richest classes had 47 Jewish members (out of 247 people, or 19%). Brewery owner Richard Friedlaender opened the "Śląsk" cement works in 1906[1.26]. In 1908, the Oberschlesische Eisenindustrie A.G.für Bergbau und Hüttenbetrieb metal and metallurgical complex, which included the "Julia" works in Bobrek, the "Hermina" works in Łabędy, the "Heinrich Kern & Co" wire factory, the "Baildon" works in Katowice and the "Silesia" works in Rybnik all belonged to Oscar Caro, a Jewish businessman from Gliwice, who also took over the metal works in the village of Osowiec Śląski near Opole [1.27].

When World War One ended and the Polish state was reborn, the attitude many Jews presented at that time was pro-German. Some decided to leave for Western Europe or the United States. This also occurred in Opole.

On 20th March 1921, a plebiscite was held in Górny Ślask (Volksabstimmung in Oberschlesien), supervised by the Inter-Allied Commission of Government and Plebiscite of Górny Śląsk, with its headquarters in in Opole. The majority of the Jewish community supported the idea that Grórny Śląsk remain within Germany. Residents of Opole cast 20,816 votes (94.7%) for remaining in Germany and 1,098 votes (5.0%) for Poland. The city within Germany.

The final thirty years of the Opole Jewish community were marked by its gradual weakening. During the inter-War period, in 1922, there were about 1,000 Jews living in the city. However, in the years that followed, more and more Jews would leave Poland and move to Palestine or to the West. Their number would continually decrease. As a result, in 1930, there were 607 Jews left in Opole.

In the second half of the 1920's the community had difficulty in appointing a rabbi and other community officials. The community budget was shrinking. The community made efforts to fight the crisis by, for example, establishing a Hebrew school and giving women the right to vote as well as the right to stand for election (in 1931).  

On 6th May 1932, a group of Jewish sportsmen from Opole took part in a huge convention of Jewish youth from Górny Śląsk (from Gliwice, Strzelce Opolskie, Bytom, Opole, Koźle, Zabrze and Raciborz - about 250 people in all) which was held in Taciszów. The highlight was a speech delivered by Rabbi Dr. Ochs regarding the worsening situation of Jewish youth in Germany. He urged the youth to keep pursuing their aspirations and to overcome all difficulties. During the convention, the attendees shouted the Long live! phrase a few times to honor Germany. The convention ended by the singing the national anthem Deutschland, Deutschland über alles...[1.28].

At the beginning of 1933 the Opole Jewish Community Council purchased an 11,000 square meter piece of land within the newly opened communal cemetery in Opole-Półwieś. The intention was to establish there a new Jewish cemetery. Despite the fact that there were already plans drawn up, they were never implemented. The Community Council sold one part of the land to the Council in 1936 and the other in 1939 [1.29].

Like elesewhere in Germany, an anti-Jewish boycott took place in Opole on Saturday 1st April 1933. It resulted in a few Jewish shops also being looted[1.30].

In Opele, during “Kristallnacht”, the Nazis forced Rabbi Hans Hirschberg to set fire to the synagogue on Hafenstrasse (today’s ul. Piastowska). Firefighters stood by to ensure that neighbouring buildings would not catch fire. During that tragic night, buildings belonging to Jewish organizations, thirteen shops and Jewish houses were destroyed in Opole.. Thirteen Jews were arrested. In 1936, there were 453 Jews in Opole.

Following these events, many Jewish residents found shelter in the Consulate of the Republic of Poland[1.31]. The process of demolishing the burned-out syngague took until April 1939 to complete. This pogrom led to an increased immigration of Jews to western Europe or to the United States. The last rabbi of Opole, Hans Hirschberg, left the city in February 1939. In 1939, 280 Jews still lived in Opole.

Deportations of the Jewish inhabitants of Opole began on 13th November 1942[1.32]. On that day, transport No.XVIII/1 was sent with 56 Jews from Opole, Głubczyce and Bytom to the ghetto in Theresienstadt.[1.33].

On 11th December 1942, another transport (No. XVIII/4) took people from the Opole Regierungsbezirk to the Theresienstadt ghetto. Only seven people survived from this group, which had comprised 53 Jews from Głogówek and Racibórz, and also probably from Pyskowice and Opole[1.34].

The fifth transport from the Opole Regierungsbezirk (No. XVIII/5) to Terezín took place on 21st April 1943. C.V. Oberschlesien records  indicate that the transport shipped off 46 Jews from Olesno, Opole, Racibórz and Głubczyce. Eleven people survived [1.35]

The last Jews from Opole and five Jews from Racibórz were deported to Terezín in the sixth transport on 30th June 1943. One of those victims was Harry Wolf, the last representative of the Jewish Community Council of Opole, who was killed on 19th October 1944 in a gas chamber in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp[1.36].

Nine Jewish women, including a few women from Opole, were taken to Terezín in a transport that left from the Opole Regierungsbezirk on 20th January 1944. The post-war testimony of Irma Appel from Opole indicates that three Jewish women from Opole survived that deportation [1.37]  

Most of the Jews from Czech Terezín were sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp, where they were murdered in gas chambers.

After World War II, a large group of Jews settled in Opole, but despite that fact, the Jewish community did not revive in this city[1.38].