Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

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were to lose their lives in the remaining months of the war during the aerial
bombardment of the city by the Allies.
Forced Labour and Deportations
The forced labour deployment of Jews in Magdeburg commenced as early as the
winter of 1939–1940. Jews were involved in bridge construction on the River
Elbe, in the production of goods in war-related industries and in garbage removal.
Both men and women were conscripted. Forced labour also continued beyond the
aerial destruction of the city by Allied bombers on 16 January 1945. With the
commencement of the mass deportation of Jews in April 1942, possessing a
position as an ‘essential worker’ in a war-related enterprise delayed and
sometimes even assisted in evading ‘resettlement to the east.’ Between 14 April
1942 and 11 January 1944, a minimum of three deportations from Magdeburg to
the east and four to Theresienstadt took place. 186 A considerable number of Jews,
originally from Magdeburg, who had relocated to other communities were also
deported. With the occurrence of the first deportation, the community was
shocked, but unsure as to what ‘resettlement’ involved and what it actually meant.
Fears were allayed when correspondence was received in Magdeburg from
deportees. However, with successive deportations and no correspondence, by the
time the last deportation took place some Jews attempted, unsuccessfully, to flee.
Deportees were notified in advance and the deportations were well organised and
orchestrated without violent round-ups. The third and final phase of the
destruction process of the Jewish community had commenced. This phase marked
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Both archival sources and oral history confirm this figure of a total of seven mass
deportations from Magdeburg.