Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

306
was dissolved and deregistered. 1 Documentation concerning the activities of its
partner organisation, the Provinzial-Verband für jüdische Wohlfahrtspflege in
Sachsen-Anhalt, Beratungsstelle Magdeburg, ended in May 1938. 2 Given the
nature of its work and the general co-ordination of such work from Berlin, it is
most likely that it continued to operate until it too was incorporated into the
Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland. On 29 September 1939, the
Israelitisches Altersheim was incorporated into the Reichsvereinigung der Juden
in Deutschland by order of § 5 der Zehnten Verordnung zum Reichsbürgergesetz
from 4 July 1939, 3 as was the Israelitische Beerdigungs-Gesellschaft on 3 October
1939, 4 followed in succession by the Jüdische Bezirksdarlehnskasse on 5
December 1939, 5 which was subsequently forced into liquidation. Thus, by the
beginning of 1940 the Synagogen-Gemeinde was the only remaining Jewish
organisation operating in Magdeburg.
When World War Two broke out, numerous Jews were in possession of
tickets and visas and were desperate to emigrate. However, no record has been
located indicating any successful attempts after September 1939, despite the fact
that the government still permitted emigration up to the autumn of 1941. With the
outbreak of war, routes of passage became very limited. Walter Heinemann was
1
Jüdischer Hilfsverein zu Magdeburg, Bestand Rep. C 129, Signatur Nr. 2305,
LHASA MD, op. cit., p. 71.
2
No documentation concerning any of its roles or activities beyond May 1938 has
been located.
3
Correspondence from the Reich Minister for the Interior to the Israelitisches
Altersheim in Magdeburg, 29 September 1939, Bestand Rep. C 129, Signatur Nr.
2481, LHASA MD, op. cit., p. 92.
4
Correspondence from the Head of the SS and the SD, Berlin to the Israelitische
Beerdigungs-Gesellschaft, 3 October 1939, Bestand Rep. C 129, Signatur Nr. 2165,
LHASA MD, op. cit., p. 293.
5
Jüdische Bezirksdarlehnskasse zu Magdeburg, Bestand Rep. C 129, Signatur Nr.
2235, LHASA MD, op. cit., p. 50.