Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

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Rellum’s depiction of the situation is, perhaps, the most frank and graphic in
describing the situation in the public domain for Jews at that time. Oral testimony
confirms that Jews were set upon and the only way of evading this was to be
vigilant in perceiving potential threats or to remain indoors. A small number of
Jews escaped molestation owing to their lack of ‘typical Jewish physiognomy,’
unless they were publicly identified. 77
From 31 August 1935 all trams in Magdeburg were outfitted with signs which
bore the caption: ‘Jews are not welcome here!’ 78 Owing to the intervention of the
Centralverein (CV), the signs were removed from 20 September 1935, 79 but were
to later re-appear sporadically. Gerry Levy recalled travelling on a tram with his
parents some time after this. Whilst sitting on the tram, a couple opposite the
Levys were pointing at them and a little later they beckoned to the conductor and
spoke to him. After their conversation, the conductor approached the Levys and
remarked that the other passengers had indicated that the Levys were Jews. The
conductor asked the Levys if this was correct and when they replied yes, the
conductor politely requested them to disembark at the next tram stop. The Levys
complied with the request. 80
The Nazi Party was so dedicated and thorough in the distribution of mandatory
antisemitic signage that during one particular boycott campaign on 24 September
1935, the order was given that all businesses had to use the prescribed Nazi Party
aluminium signage in order to maintain uniformity and develop community spirit.
77 Name withheld, op. cit., 18 June 1999.
78 Correspondence from the regional office of the CV in Leipzig to the head office of
the CV in Berlin, concerning the introduction of antisemitic signage on Magdeburg
trams, 31 August 1935, Collection RG-11.00M.31, Reel 130, File 721-1-2845,
USHMMA, op. cit., p. 392. The original German text of the sign reads: ‘Juden sind
hier unerwünscht!’
79 Betrifft: Magdeburger Strassenbahn, 20. September 1935, ibid., p. 377.
80 Levy, op. cit., 7 November 1996.