Jewish Life in Nazi Germany: Dilemmas and Responses (41 page)

Artists
—of 2,357 artists, including actors, musicians, painters and sculptors, in the pre-Hitler period, only 800 have managed to obtain temporary employment in Jewish cultural enterprises.

Ghetto
—The Jewish population is concentrated in Berlin. Many cities and towns have lost the greater part of their Jewish population, while many others have become entirely “Judenfrei.”

Charity
—81,000 Jewish families are dependent upon charity— more than one-quarter of all German Jews.

Children
—of 42,000 Jewish children of school age, 22,000 are receiving education in Jewish schools; 20,000 are without adequate educational facilities.

Source
: Central Zionist Archives, Jerusalem: S7–493, Central Bureau for the Settlement of Jews in Palestine, Report of the American Jewish Committee, New York, “The Jews in Germany Today,” 1 June 1937.

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Herrn Dr. Martin Rosenblueth London

Dear Rosenblueth,

The following remark may have no basis in fact. I would have sent this information to you sooner, but the recently reported upheavals in Germany have required a great deal of reflection.

of course there is no relation between the sudden Nazi change in direction and the Jewish question, but the current situation gives the dark forces a free rein.

From a very reliable confidential source that is connected to the higher leadership of the SS, I have heard that there is much enthusiasm for an effective, genuine, and major pogrom in Germany in the near future. The fact that such information comes from such a source is something of which our friends in Germany should be aware.

Unfortunately, I am not aware of any additional details. I am also not asserting that this information is accurate. I do, however, vouch for the quality of the source.

with best wishes, Dr. Georg Landauer

Source
: Central Zionist Archives, Jerusalem: S7–689, Georg Landauer, Central Bu-reau for the Settlement of German Jews in Palestine, Jerusalem, to Martin Rosenblüth, Central Bureau for the Settlement of German Jews in Palestine, London, 8 February
1938. This letter was translated from the German by Francis R. Nicosia.

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L
aw
C
onCerninG the
L
eGa L
s
tatus of the
J
ew ish
r
e LiGious
C
ommunities
,

28 March 1938

The Reich Government has enacted the following law, which is promulgated herewith:

§ 1

1. Jewish religious communal organizations and their roof organizations obtain legal standing by means of registration in the Register of Associations.
   
2. At the end of 31 March 1938, Jewish religious organizations and their roof organizations will lose the status of Corporations un-der public law, insofar as they possessed such status up to the present time. From this date on they will be private Associations with legal status under civil law. entry in the Register of Associations must be carried out . . .
   

Berlin, 28 March 1938

The Führer and Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler

The Reich Minister for Church Affairs Kerrl

The Reich Minister of the Interior Frick

Source
:
Source
: Yitzhak Arad, Israel Gutman, and Abraham Margaliot, eds.,
Documents on the Holocaust
, 8
^th
ed. (Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press and Yad Vashem, 1999), 91.

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r
eGu Lation for the
e
Limination of the
J
ews from the
e
ConomiC
L
ife of
G
ermany

12 November 1938

on the basis of the regulation for the implementation of the Four Year Plan of 18 october 1936 (
Reichsgesetzblatt
, I, p. 887), the following is decreed:

§ 1

1. From 1 January 1939, Jews (§ 5 of the First Regulation of the Reich Citizenship Law of 14 November 1935,
   Reichsgesetzblatt
   , I, p. 1333) are forbidden to operate retail stores, mail-order houses, or sales agencies, or to carry on a trade [craft] independently.
   
2. They are further forbidden, from the same day on, to offer for sale goods or services, to advertise these, or to accept orders at markets of all sorts, fairs or exhibitions.
   
3. Jewish trade enterprises (Third Regulation to the Reich Citizenship Law of 14 June 1938—
   Reichsgesetzblatt
   , I, p. 627) which violate this decree will be closed by police.
   

§ 2

1. From 1 January 1939, a Jew can no longer be the head of an enterprise within the meaning of the Law of 20 January 1934, for the Regulation of National work (
   Reichsgesetzblatt
   , I, p. 45).
   
2. where a Jew is employed in an executive position in a commercial enterprise he may be given notice to leave in six weeks. At the expiration of the term of the notice all claims of the employee
   

based on his contract, especially those concerning pension and compensation rights, become invalid.

§ 3

1. A Jew cannot be a member of a cooperative.
   
2. The membership of Jews in cooperatives expires on 31 December 1938. No special notice is required.
   

§ 4

The Reich Minister of the economy, in coordination with the Ministers concerned, is empowered to publish regulations for the implementation of this decree. He may permit exceptions under the Law if these are required as the result of the transfer of a Jewish enterprise to non-Jewish ownership, for the liquidation of a Jewish enterprise or, in special cases, to ensure essential supplies.

Berlin, 12 November 1938

Plenipotentiary for the Four Year Plan Göring Field Marshal General

Source
: Yitzhak Arad, Israel Gutman, and Abraham Margaliot, eds.,
Documents on the Holocaust
, 8
^th
ed. (Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press and Yad Vashem, 1999), 115–116.

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e
sta BLishment of the
r
eiCh
C
entr a L

o
ffiCe for
J
ew ish
e
miGr ation

January 1939

Plenipotentiary for the Four Year Plan To The Reich Minister of the Interior Berlin Berlin, 24 January 1939

The emigration of the Jews from Germany is to be furthered by all possible means.

A Reich Central office for Jewish emigration is being established in the Reich Ministry of the Interior from among representatives of the agencies concerned. The Reich Central office will have the task to devise uniform policies as follows:

1. Measures for the
   preparation
   of increased emigration of Jews. This will include the creation of a Jewish organization* that can prepare uniform applications for emigration; the taking of all steps for the provision and efficient use of local and foreign funds; and a decision on suitable target countries for emigration, to be selected in coordination with the Reich Central office for emigration.
   
2. The
   direction
   of emigration, including, for instance, preference for the emigration of the poorer Jews.
   
3. The speeding up of emigration in
   individual cases
   , by means of speedy and smooth provision of the State documents and permits required by the individual emigrant, through central processing of applications for emigration.
   

The Reich Central office for Jewish emigration will be headed by the Chief of the Security Police. He will appoint a Responsible Manager and make rules for the operation of the Reich Central office.

Regular reports on the work of the Reich Central office will be forwarded to me. I will be consulted continuously on measures requiring decisions of principle.

In addition to representatives of other agencies involved, the Committee will include Ambassador eisenlohr, who is responsible for local inter-state negotiations, and Ministerial Director wohlthat, who is responsible for the negotiations in connection with the Rublee Plan.

Signed Göring

*The Jewish organization referred to here was to be the Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland (Reich Association of Jews in Germany), established in February 1939, to replace the defunct Reichsvertretung der Juden in Deutschland (Reich Representation of Jews in Germany).

Source
: Yitzhak Arad, Israel Gutman, and Abraham Margaliot, eds.,
Documents on the Holocaust
, 8
^th
ed. (Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press and Yad Vashem, 1999), 125–126.

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t
he
e
sta BLishment of the
r
eICHsvereIn Igung

Tenth Regulation to the Reich Citizenship Law 4 July 1939*

Pursuant to § 3 of the Reich Citizenship Law of 15 September 1935 (
Reichsgesetzblatt
I, p. 1146), the following order is made:

Article I

Reichsvereinigung der Juden

§ 1

1. The Jews will be organized in a
   Reichsvereinigung
   .
   
2. The
   Reichsvereinigung
   is a legally recognized Association. Its name is “
   Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland
   ,” and it is located in Berlin.
   
3. The
   Reichsvereinigung
   will use the Jewish Communities as [its] local branches.
   

§ 2

1. The purpose of the
   Reichsvereinigung
   is to further the emigration of the Jews.
   
2. The
   Reichsvereinigung
   is also
   
   1. Responsible for the Jewish school system;
      
   2. Responsible for the independent Jewish welfare system.
      
3. The Reich Minister of the Interior is authorized to transfer further responsibilities to the
   Reichsvereinigung
   .