Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

Chapter Three:
Daily Life in the Public Domain, 1933–1938
Nazi Policy toward the Jews
125
The introduction and the implementation of Nazi policy toward the Jews affected
them in all aspects of their lives, including the public domain. As the years
progressed, their level of insecurity and lack of safety escalated. Whether policy
dealt with public or private space, Jewish or non-Jewish space was
inconsequential. All policy was engineered toward the demonisation, humiliation
and exclusion of Jews from all spheres of life and influence in Germany. Included
in this was their constant surveillance as declared ‘enemies of the German
people.’ All policy also affected the behaviours and attitudes of non-Jews towards
Jews in the public domain, as Jews had been allocated pariah status.
In depicting the effect of Nazi policy on the daily lives of Jews in the city from
1933 until the pogrom in November 1938, a similar pattern corresponding to the
time-line of economic disenfranchisement emerges. The initial shock and violence
of 1933 was followed by a period of adjustment to their new and disturbing
status. 1 Ongoing boycotts and public defamation, combined with the exclusion
from some public places, were the main features until the introduction of the
Nuremberg Laws in 1935. After September 1935 Jews no longer possessed any
legal status and were racially defined. This led to an open season of accusing Jews
of either invented crimes or newly created crimes, such as ‘Rassenschande.’ In
Magdeburg this resulted in show trials and the trial by media of a number of
community members.
1
For a complete discussion on this period of transition from 1933 until 1935, see
Matthäus, op. cit.