In the 17th century there was an iron hammer in Gettenbach that manufactured cannonballs and cannon barrels for the Thirty Years' War and the Palatinate War of Succession.
In 1692, Meyer zur Weißen Rose, a highly talented engineer of Jewish faith, took over the Eisenhammer, which had previously been personally managed by the princely house, on lease and successfully developed it further.
From 1695, the Wenzel & Sons glassmaking dynasty based in Breitenborn set up a branch in Gettenbach, where large quantities of drinking glasses were manufactured.
Only a few years later, a paper mill was set up to produce high-quality writing paper.
Eisenhammer, Glashütte and Papiermühle all had the same problem. They needed dealers who could sell far into the country and, if possible, also abroad. Citizens of the Jewish faith assumed this role competently and successfully, as they had extensive networks at their disposal.
From 1692 more and more Jewish families settled in Gettenbach. Around 1710 the Jewish cemetery and a synagogue were built. With the Gettenbach alliance of production and trade, it was possible to keep the local economic boom going for almost 100 years. In 1786, the Jewish citizens already made up two thirds of the entire population.