Life_under_Siege_The_Jews_of_Magdeburg_under_Nazi_Rule.pdf

details the financial hardship of community members, which only continues on a
downward spiral. Most notable is the evident professionalism in all business
matters conducted and the continued generosity of community members who were
still financially stable.
In conclusion, communal frameworks already in existence in 1933 provided
the Jews in Magdeburg with a firm foundation to rely and draw on, once
antisemitic measures were enacted. The large number of organisations and
institutions for such a small community is a testimony to the vibrancy and the
diversity of the community. This fact, no doubt, positively assisted all community
members attempting to navigate their lives as they altered dramatically for the
worse.
The situation in Magdeburg, both prior to and after the introduction of the
Nuremberg Laws in 1935 is difficult to fully explore. What is quite clear is that up
until the Nuremberg Laws, the community appears to have been focused on
adjusting to its new position. The focus was on retraining, complying with the
authorities, valuing Jewishness and simultaneously defending its rights. From the
period toward the end of 1937 there arose a greater focus on the evacuation of the
young and on emigration. The initial phase represented the hope of retaining lives
and livelihoods; the second phase distinctly represented for some, and although
not the majority, the end of those hopes. As social isolation ensued, communal
structures were to prove of vital importance, both physically and psychologically.
The Nazi regime targeted particular structures for immediate or early dissolution.
The continued existence of Jewish organisations and institutions related directly to
their roles in both Nazi ideology and bureaucracy, as will be demonstrated in the
next section of this chapter.
44