Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

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licences to Jews on account of preserving public safety. 92 It is highly unlikely that
Jews who previously did hold hunting licences were still hunting, which was not a
favoured leisure activity in any event. 93 The premise in the memorandum was that
allowing Jews to possess firearms posed a potential danger to the
‘Volksgemeinschaft,’ given the view expressed that all Jews were opponents of the
state.
With the initial policy of segregation in the public domain, governmental
bodies encouraged the creation of establishments for Jewish clientele only.
However, eventually all such establishments were reduced in number or dissolved,
leaving Jews without any venues in the public domain. One such incident
occurred on 26 August 1937 when the Ministry for the Interior decided that there
was no longer any reason for the further establishment of any Jewish taverns and
guest houses. 94 By September 1937 Jews in Magdeburg were only being treated in
public hospitals under exceptional or life-threatening circumstances, owing to the
rationale that their presence in public hospitals created a health risk for ‘Aryan’
patients and the mayor’s office drew up specific guidelines for this practice. 95 As a
result of this, discussions about the possibility of establishing a Jewish clinic in
Magdeburg were still being conducted in January 1938 96 and the approval for the
92 Betrifft: Ausstellung von Jagdscheinen an Juden, 21. März 1937, Bestand Rep. C
20 I. I b, Signatur Nr. 1831, Band IV, LHASA MD, op. cit., p. 6.
93 Jewish law (Halacha) prohibits the practice of hunting.
94 Betrifft: Gesetzliche Bestimmungen für die Errichtung jüdischer Gast- und
Schankwirtschaften, 26. August 1937, Bestand Rep. C 20 I. I b, Signatur Nr. 2537,
LHASA MD, op. cit., p. 1.
95 Betr.: Aufnahme und Behandlung von Juden in den städtischen Krankenhäusern,
15. September 1937, Bestand Oa, Signatur Nr. 46, ASGM, op. cit., pp. 204–206.
96 Correspondence to the Provinzialverband für jüdische Wohlfahrtspflege,
Magdeburg, 28 January 1938, Collection RG-11.00M.31, Reel 148, File 721-1-3042,
USHMMA, pp. 15–16.