Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

each day and report his findings. 32 The second incident commenced with a
complaint made on 21 July 1938, concerning a variety of alleged breaches of both
health and building regulations at the company’s premises at Otto-von-Guericke-
Straße 16. The chief concern was that the ‘Jewish company’ employed
approximately forty-nine ‘Volksgenossen,’ and the constant insinuation in the
correspondence was that as a Jewish enterprise its standards of hygiene were far
lower than those to which the ‘Volksgenossen’ were accustomed, and
consequently intolerable. The premises were subsequently inspected and the
company was issued with an order on 5 September 1938 to comply with five
ordinances. 33 From the antisemitic tone of the correspondence, the motives were
to besmirch and cause as much damage to the company as possible. It also
indicates the official disapproval of non-Jews working for a company owned by
Jews on Nazi racial grounds.
Whilst these constant attacks on an individual or an organisational level
undermined Jewish economic existence, of even greater impact in destroying
Jewish livelihoods were governmental directives to boycott all things Jewish.
Such directives were not optional, unlike the freedom of choice exerted by
numerous individuals when it came to relationships with Jewish businesses and/or
professionals.
On 6 May 1935, it came to the attention of the local police headquarters that
non-Jewish solicitors, some of whom were Nazi Party members, were acting as
32 Correspondence concerning complaints over working conditions at L. Sperling &
Co., 2 February 1934 – 19 March 1934, Bestand Rep. C 34, Signatur Nr. 591,
LHASA MD, pp. 107–109. This complaint was instigated by the Verband der
weiblichen Angestellten, Magdeburg.
33 Correspondence concerning breaches of health and building ordinances at L.
Sperling & Co., 21 July 1938 – 14 September 1938, ibid., pp. 110–115. This
complaint was initiated by Die deutsche Arbeitsfront, Gauwaltung Magdeburg-
Anhalt.
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