Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

famous of the cultural institutions in the city was the B’nai B’rith Lodge, known
as the Mendelssohn-Loge XII 357. Founded on 31 May 1885, it also operated the
Frauenbund der Mendelssohn-Loge. 57
Magdeburg possessed its own branch of the CV, the Centralverein Deutscher
Staatsbürger Jüdischen Glaubens – Landesverband Provinz Sachsen, Ortsgruppe
Magdeburg 58 and its own branch of the World War One Jewish veterans’
association, the Reichsbund jüdischer Frontsoldaten, Ortsgruppe Magdeburg. 59
The branch also included the sports group of the veterans’ association, Der Schild,
which attracted a substantial membership, particularly amongst its youth. 60 The
Magdeburg branch of the popular youth movement known as the ‘Ring’, Bund
deutsch-jüdischer Jugend, renamed the Bund Jüdischer Jugend in 1936, 61 was
also well represented numerically. 62
Of particular interest due to its role as a cultural and educational wing of the
community was the Jüdischer Verein Freundschaft zu Magdeburg, established on
18 March 1928, which eventually became the Jüdische Kultur-Gesellschaft zu
Magdeburg on 12 January 1933. 63 Two other organisations, which appear to have
group did not feature in any of the public notices in the Magdeburg Jewish press for
1932, however, it did feature in previous years.
57
Gesetze der Mendelssohn-Loge, XII Nr. 357 U. O. B. B. zu Magdeburg, Collection
D/Ma3, File XII.9, CAHJP, op. cit. Historical details of and membership list of the
Mendelssohn Lodge for 1928, Archiv des Landesverbandes Jüdischer Gemeinden
Sachsen-Anhalt (ALJGSA).
58
Correspondence from the Magdeburg branch of the CV to the head office of the CV
in Berlin, 9 April 1935, Collection RG-11.00M.31, Reel 130, File 721-1-2845, United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives (USHMMA), p. 426.
59
This was an important organisation, given the large number of war veterans in the
community, together with the families of the thirty-six men who gave their lives for
their country in World War One. See Spanier, op. cit., p. 44.
60
Personal interview with Gerry Levy AM (recorded), Sydney, 7 November 1996.
61
Kaplan, op. cit., p. 110.
62
Personal interview with Hans Jensen (recorded), Sydney, 14 June 1999.
63
Jüdischer Verein Freundschaft zu Magdeburg; Jüdische Kultur-Gesellschaft zu
Magdeburg, Collection JM, File 11266.4, YVA, pp. 1–92.
35