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The Leo Baeck Institute – New York | Berlin presents the year 1938 through the eyes of Jews, whose personal documents detail their experiences and the hardships they suffered as well as the growing tensions in Europe and diminishing hope for Jews in Germany and Austria.

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21

WEDNESDAY

21

Anti-Semitic Postcards

The circulation of stereotypes makes them socially acceptable

GERMANY

“He offered a steed, you bought a hack, the Jews are a deceitful pack” is what is written on this postcard, postmarked on September 21, 1938. Mocking, anti-Semitic postcards were common already during the German Empire and the Weimar Republic and, as an easily replicable means, gained influence on the way people thought. One of the oldest stereotypes may be that of the greedy Jew. In whatever part of the economy Jews were active, anti-Semites would impute usury and fraud. The use of anti-Semitic postcards to impart private messages gave anti-Jewish stereotypes far-reaching societal acceptance and thus created the breeding ground for the solution of the “Jewish question,” which was soon to become a terrible reality.

TAGS: antisemitism, Hate speech, persecution, postcard, propaganda, September 21, Weimar Republic

SOURCE

Institution:

Deutsches Historisches Museum

Original:

Anti-Semitic Postcard; Inv.Nr.: PK 96/417

18

THURSDAY

18

A questionnaire

Anti-Semitism in the Saxony town of Merseburg drives Bernhard Taitza to emigrate

"Means for establishing a life, provided that export will be authorized; means to cover travel costs: 'None. RM 8000, confiscated in Germany and which I am seeking to have released. Otherwise, my relatives in America will provide me with sufficient means of subsistence.'"

Prague

The negligible number of Jews (50 out of a total of 31,576 in 1933) in the town of Merseburg, in Saxony, did not dissuade local Nazis from terrorizing them. As early as 1934, Bernhard Taitza, a local merchant, reported on Jewish residents’ anguish at Nazis marching past their homes while singing anti-Semitic songs. The atmosphere became so unbearable that in 1938 he made his way out of Germany to Prague. Days later, on August 18th, he submitted this questionnaire to HICEM, founded in 1927 as a coalition of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the Jewish Colonization Association and Emigdirect, another Jewish migration organization. With two children already residing in America, Taitza was fortunate enough to have an affidavit and didn’t have to worry too much as to whether he would regain possession of the money confiscated from him by the Nazis.

TAGS: affidavits, antisemitism, August 18, displacement, document, economic persecution, emigration, family, family separation, Hate speech, immigration procedures, Prague, refugees, transnational networks, violence, welfare organizations

SOURCE

Institution:

New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum

Original:

Bernhard Taitza, former Merseburg, arrives at CSR ; CJA, 1 C Hi 1, No. 21, #12497, Image 1

20

WEDNESDAY

20

“Jews Unmasked”

Nazi censors deem an antisemitic film politically useful

“Summary. The movie offers a cross-section of Jewish film production during the system period [derogatory term for the Weimar Republic] and proves the necessity of the Nuremberg Laws, which brought an end to this subversive activity in the fields of culture and the economy.”

Berlin

Immediately after their rise to power in January 1933, the Nazis began to extend their control over every aspect of cultural life in Germany. As a popular medium capable of reaching large numbers of people—and one perceived as being dominated by Jews—film was of central importance to the new regime. Before the production of a new movie could begin, the script had to pass pre-censorship. The final product was scrutinized by the censorship authority for film (Film-Prüfstelle) of the Reich Propaganda Ministry. Under the Nazi regime, the state’s relationship with the film industry changed. While prior to 1933, authorities had primarily sought to censor or suppress material deemed harmful, the Nazi regime actively instrumentalized the film industry to promote National Socialist ideology. The anti-Semitic film “Juden ohne Maske” (“Jews unmasked”), whose authorization card from the censors is shown here, is such a case. It received the rating “valuable to national policy”, but it was also restricted to screenings for adult audiences in the context of NSDAP events.

TAGS: antisemitism, Berlin, cultural life, document, Hate speech, July 20, Nazi laws, Nazi policies, propaganda

SOURCE

Institution:

New Synagogue Berlin – Centrum Judaicum

Original:

Authorization card from the Berlin Film Censorship Office for the Nazi propaganda film, “Juden ohne Maske” [“Jews Unmasked”] ; CJA, 7.78

9

THURSDAY

9

Stölpchensee

The last public bathing spot for Jews in Berlin

Berlin/Stölpchensee

In 1935, the Nazi party press had orchestrated a campaign to exclude Jews from public swimming pools, citing “unpleasant incidents” or warning the public of the “danger” allegedly posed by Jews. Suddenly, signs inscribed with texts like “Jews are not permitted access to this facility” were put up almost everywhere. Stölpchensee, one of the lakes just outside Berlin, was the last public bathing spot to which Berlin Jews had access. Fritz and Friedel F. were married and lived in Berlin, where Fritz owned a lamp store. In June of 1938, their weekend cottage at Stölpchensee was still a family escape from the city and harassment.

TAGS: antisemitism, Berlin, family, Hate speech, Journalism, June 9, Nazi laws, Nazi policies, persecution, photo, propaganda, public sphere, segregation

SOURCE

Institution:

Private Collection William J. Davidson

Original:

“From the Freudenthal Family Album”

Chronology of major events in 1938

Destruction of the Main Synagogue in Munich

A postcard depicting the Main Synagogue in Munich. Private collection.

The Nazis destroy the Main Synagogue in the city center of Munich and replace it with a parking lot. The monumental Neo-Romanesque building was built in 1878. Just a few days before the demolition, the Jewish Community in Munich is told that it has to sell the Synagogue for 100.000 Reichsmark. The synagogue is the first of many that the Nazis will destroy in 1938.

View chronology of major events in 1938

20

FRIDAY

20

Pitiless

Göring calls for a strict anti-Jewish boycott

“(...) a ‘pitiless anti-Jewish boycott’ until the last Jew is forced to emigrate from Austria.”

Vienna

In today’s release, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that the Deutsches Volksblatt in Vienna urges a “pitiless anti-Jewish boycott.” This, the paper argues, is the line demanded by Hermann Göring in his last speech in Vienna. Highly decorated in WWI as a fighter pilot, Göring had become a member of the NSDAP early on and was a member of its inner circle. He had established the Gestapo in 1933, was commander-in-chief of the German airforce (Luftwaffe) and as Plenipotentiary of the Four-Year Plan, he also wielded power over the German economy. Other than that, he is known for his pivotal role in bringing about the Anschluss and his passion for collecting art, which he often acquired in dubious ways.

TAGS: Anschluss, antisemitism, economic persecution, Hate speech, Journalism, JTA, May 20, media coverage, Nazi policies, Nazi propaganda, prominent people, public sphere, Vienna, WWI, WWI veterans

SOURCE

Institution:

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Collection:

“‘Pitiless Boycott’ of Jews Urged by Vienna Paper”

Source available in English

8

MONDAY

8

Change of heart

Once friendly to the Jews, a Catholic priest decries “uninvited guests.”

“Nobody called the Jews to the countries of Europe. They came as uninvited guests and pushed themselves so strongly to the forefront of all public professions, not always by excellent performances, that the least one can say is there came to exist a gross disproportion.”

VIENNA

In Austria’s new reality, opinions could change very quickly. In a news item from April 8, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that Catholic clergyman, Pastor Breckle of Trinity Church in Vienna, wrote an article in “Catholic Action,” that referred to the Jews as “uninvited guests” in Europe. Breckle accused the Jews of “pushing themselves to the forefront” and praised Hitler’s approach as “free and humane.” Breckle had until recently been considered friendly toward the Jewish community.

TAGS: Anschluss, antisemitism, April 8, Church, Hate speech, Journalism, JTA, media coverage, prominent people, Vienna

SOURCE

Institution:

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Collection:

“Austrian Catholic Organ Attacks Jews; Lauds Hitler’s ‘solution’”

Source available in English

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