Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

Magdeburg. 35 The former Synagogen-Gemeinde in its altered state continued to
function in its various capacities. 36
As demonstrated, it is possible to establish a limited picture of what the
community’s bureaucracy consisted of and how it functioned. A far more
comprehensive and diverse picture of the community’s structure, however, is
provided when an examination of the rich cultural fabric of its communal
organisations is made. Many of these were connected to the Synagogen-Gemeinde
and in this respect they provide further insight into its organisational framework. 37
The social structure of the community was reflective of the difference in
religious affiliation. 38 This religious division can also be translated into national
origin. The separation of the two groups was evident for the entire period under
discussion, irrespective of the persecutions inflicted. In fact, a number of
interviewees reflected that it was not really until the deportation of stateless,
Polish Jews on 27–28 October 1938 that they had had much involvement with
their fellow Jews of Polish background. 39 The differences which formed the
various barriers within the overall community were most evident in synagogue
35 Correspondence from Dr Max Israel Kaufmann to the Amtsgericht Abtlg. 8 in
Magdeburg, 8 October 1941 indicates this change of name for the community and the
correspondence uses both the old and the new letterheads, Collection JM, File
11266.7, YVA, p. 297. In addition to this, numerous other documents from as early as
5 November 1941 bear the new name on the community’s official letterhead as, for
example, correspondence bearing the abovementioned new letterhead to the
Gerichtskasse Magdeburg, 5 November 1941, Bestand Rep. C 129, Signatur Nr. 2165,
LHASA MD, p. 298.
36 No archival material has survived indicating any imposed name changes or changes
of status of the Shtiblech for the period.
37 A wealth of both archival and oral history material in this subject has facilitated an
excellent picture of the operations of this sphere of the community.
38 H. Freeman, op. cit., 13 May 1998. Freeman estimated that a minimum of 30% of
the Jewish population belonged to Shtiblech, with the figure possibly even being as
high as 50%.
39 Personal interview with Gerry Levy AM (recorded), Sydney, 7 November 1996.
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