Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

253
1937. 5 From this figure it must be concluded that the deportations would have
potentially affected hundreds of Polish Jews in Magdeburg.
Hemmi Freeman’s parents, Pinkas Frühman and Sprinec (Sabine) Frühman
née Stern, were born in Sedziszow and Rymanow respectively. 6 Both places were
Austrian at the time of their births. The married couple settled in Magdeburg
shortly before the outbreak of World War One. In the wake of the war their
respective birthplaces became Polish territory. 7 At the time of the ‘Polenaktion,’
the couple were visited by the Gestapo, as their son recalled:
My parents were naturalised Germans from years back, but lost their
naturalisation under the Nazis. So, when they came to our place to ask for their
passports, they were stateless, and the Gestapo didn’t know what to do with
them, and they left them alone. So, they were saved temporarily. 8
The Frühmans had never held Polish citizenship, only Austrian prior to their
taking German citizenship. Clearly, the Gestapo assumed that as ‘Polish’-born
Jews, they would have held the same citizenship. Their statelessness at the time
provided them with a temporary reprieve.
Some interviewees recalled the events of those few days and recalled how a
number of members of the Synagogen-Gemeinde responded with assistance. The
niece of the owners of the leathergoods shop ‘Taschen-Freiberg’ recalled the busy
activity at the shop at the time of the deportations:
They had to leave in twenty-four hours – it was really horrible. This uncle had
a business with suitcases, handbags and all leather goods. And I remember
him all night open to sell suitcases. I remember we knew one of these families
and we helped them to pack and we took them to the train. 9
5
Mitgliederzahl der Synagogen-Gemeinde zu Magdeburg, Stichtag 1937, Collection
D/Ma3, File VIII.8, CAHJP, op. cit.
6
Sonderaufbereitung der Volkszählung vom 17. Mai 1939, Listung der
Erhebungsbögen für Provinz Sachsen, Stadtkreis Magdeburg, Gemeinde Magdeburg,
BAB, p. 9.
7
H. Freeman, op. cit., 13 May 1998.
8
H. Freeman, op. cit., 3 June 1998.
9
H. B., op. cit., 15 August 1997.