Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

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and conducted at the premises of the Jewish community. 90 After the decree
concerning the wearing of the star, few Jews in the city ventured outdoors unless
they were going about their daily affairs. For this reason, the ongoing issuing of
police ordinances and complaints concerning the alleged practice of Jews
attending ‘German cultural venues’ was, arguably, largely an act of propagandistic
value in furthering the demonisation of the Jews and their complete removal from
the German consciousness. After September 1941, the majority of Jews in the city
were fearful of being in the public domain, let alone attending venues where they
placed themselves at even greater risk. Other than the offices of the Jewish
community, the only other venue where Jews met as a group was the field next to
the Jewish cemetery. Owing to its location, it became the only venue where Jews
met in public. Jews met there socially on Sundays, without fear of verbal and/or
physical abuse.
As with all matters of excluding Jews, the subject of Jews using public
transport continued. On 23 October 1941, strict guidelines concerning Jews’ use
of public transport operated by the German postal authority were received in
Magdeburg. 91 However, with the large-scale increase in the use of Jewish forced
labour, the Reich Minister for Transport modified the restrictions for the use of
public transport by Jews on 31 October 1941. The concern had arisen that the
measures in place could affect the production of war materials provided by Jewish
forced labour. Further guidelines concerning new measures were received in
90
Polizeiverordnung über das Verbot des Besuches von Veranstaltungen und
Gaststätten durch die Juden, (undated) October 1941, Bestand Rep. C 20 I. I b,
Signatur Nr. 119, LHASA MD, op. cit., pp. 373–376.
91
Betrifft: Benutzung der Vekehrsmittel der Deutschen Reichspost durch Juden, 16.
Oktober 1941, ibid., pp. 241–243.