Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

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Reichstag had taken place. The key concern appeared to have been that all ‘Jewish
political activity’ could only lead to unrest. 32
On 4 April 1936, the Prussian Gestapa in Berlin banned the use of Hebrew at
any Jewish cultural assembly. 33 A complaint had reached its office that Hebrew
was being used at public gatherings and this prevented surveillance. All
organisations were ordered henceforth to use only German. However, Hebrew was
still permitted at Jewish schools, synagogues and at ‘closed gatherings’ for Zionist
purposes in preparation for emigration to Palestine. 34 On 22 April 1936, the
provincial government of Saxony ordered that all antisemitic signage had to
correspond in caption and form to that which had been mandated by the Nazi
Party nationally, as uniformity was important, especially for foreign visitors. 35
This racial separation was paramount to Nazi ideology in both its propaganda
campaign and in its manifestation of policy. On 23 April 1936, Jews were
forbidden from having any female household staff who were of German (or
related) blood and foreign nationality. 36 Gerry Levy recalled this vividly as he
thought that his family’s non-Jewish maid would have to leave their employ. She
had been with the family for many years. However, as she was over the age of
forty-five, she remained with the family until the Reichskristallnacht. 37 All these
32
Betrifft: Versammlungstätigkeit der jüdischen Organisationen, 12. März 1936,
Collection JM, File 10624, YVA, op. cit., p. 117.
33
Betrifft: Den Gebrauch der hebräischen Sprache in öffentlichen jüdischen
Versammlungen, 4. April 1936, Bestand Z.-Dok.001, Signatur Nr. 045, ASGM, p.
118.
34
Ibid.
35
Betrifft: Judenfeindliche Schilder, 22. April 1936, Collection JM, File 10625, YVA,
op. cit., p. 123.
36
Betrifft: Beschäftigung deutschblutiger Hausgehilfinnen fremder
Staatsangehörigkeit in jüdischen Haushälten, 23. April 1936, Bestand Z.-Dok.001,
Signatur Nr. 033, ASGM, p. 119.
37
Levy, op. cit., 7 November 1996.