Very little remains of the former Jewish community of Segnitz. The only visible signs are the traces of a mezuzah, a doorpost symbol at the entrance to the former synagogue, and the three Jewish barriers at the former village exits. In contrast, the extensive collection of documents in the parish office provides a vivid picture of Jewish life in Segnitz. Further documents on Segnitz's Jewish history can be found in the Segnitz municipal archive and in the state archives.
The first information about Jewish residents in Segnitz appears in a letter of safe conduct from the Margrave of Ansbach for a Jud Simon from 1598. In the "Casteller Attestatum", a protocol of the High Count of Castell's chancellery from September 2, 1684, an "Abraham Jud from Segnitz" is mentioned. Some reports from the 18th century also provide information about the number of Jews living in Segnitz. In 1714, for example, the family of an Ansbach Schutzjuden is mentioned. This is presumably the Jew Schmul, the ancestor of the Ballin family. Apart from him, four other Jewish families are mentioned in 1714. Pastor Salomon Heinrich Nachtrab, who obviously had a problem with the local Jews, complained to the Uffenheim deanery in 1732 about the "local Jewish population consisting of 5 households". In 1769, five Jewish families with a total of 25 people were living in Segnitz under Zobel and Margrave protection. In 1797, 47 Zobel and 19 Prussian protected Jews were registered in the town. In 1817, 13 Israelites and their relatives were granted right of residence. The further history of the Segnitz Jews is told in the Jewish register of the parish office, a complete list of all births, marriages and deaths between 1811 and 1875. In 1848, the Brussels Institute made Segnitz world-famous as a school town. At that time, 18 Jewish families with 79 souls lived in Segnitz, which corresponded to a ratio of 1 to 8 compared to the Christian villagers. Jews and Christians apparently lived together without any problems. After all, apart from the wine trade, they hardly ever got in each other's way in business. The Jews took part in community life, performed the compulsory voluntary service for all citizens, were represented on the local council, were among the founding members of the bridge-building society in 1865 and were among the founders of the choral society in 1874. The tone between the Jewish and Christian institutions in the village was even on a friendly level.
With the final equalization of the Jews in 1871, the Israelite community of Segnitz gradually began to dissolve. The Jews were now free to choose their place of residence and so all Jewish families moved away in the following years. Segnitz was not an ideal place for trade and commerce at this time anyway, especially as the first bridge construction plan of 1865 had failed. Marktbreit with its railroad connection and the large towns offered more favorable opportunities for development. The Segnitz parish chronicle of 1913 states: "the Jewish families, of which there were still eleven 40 years ago with 36 souls, have all moved away from the village since 1882, the year in which the Brussels Trading Institute also closed, which gave the community a reputation and importance in many parts of the world that Segnitz has not regained since".
