Board games from the city of Vijayanagara (Hampi ... - Gioco dell'Oca.

A. MORRIS-FRIEDMAN & U. SCHÄDLER, “JUDEN R AUS!” (JEWS O UT!) 55
A very different and unexpected opinion is expressed in a review published in the SS
paper Das Schwarze Korps, 52, December 29, 1938, p. 7 (figure 7). The review is full of
anti-Semitic propaganda and is very critical about the game. The unknown author feels
that the game trivializes the anti-Semitic policies favored by the paper and that the international
press will use the game’s existence to make the policies look completely ridiculous.
The author’s main objection is that the game manufacturer is trying to profit from
the Nazi slogan “Juden raus” (Jews out) to promote the sale of the game. The article
translates as follows:
“Jewish problem in the dice cup
In a circular to its customers the company Rudolf Fabricius at Neusalza-Spremberg
i. Sa. [i.e. “in Sachsen”, the author] states: Juden raus! has been published in impeccable,
tasteful form and strong style.
There would be nothing wrong with this statement, if it would be a political insight
or a commentary to the measures we have undertaken to fend off the Jewish rabble
of murderers. Yet the declarations of the Fabricius company do not regard the impeccable
form, with which the German people has reacted against the crimes of the
Grünspans and their lot, nor do they regard the strong style of Hermann Göring’s
answer to those crimes.
It is just quite about the supposedly tasteful form and solid design of a ... parlor
game, where tiny little figures of Jews are slowly but surely deported to Palestine by
the help of the dice cup. The political slogan “Jews Out” is exploited here as a big
seller for all toy shops and trivialized to an amusing pastime for little children!
This invention (DRGM. Nr. 1 446 399!) is almost a punishable idea, perfectly suitable
as grist to the mills of hate of the international Jewish journaille, who would
show around such a piece of mischief as a proof for the childish efforts of the nazistic
Jews-haters with a diabolic smirk, if it would appear before her crooked nose.
We do not slave ourselves away with the solution of the Jewish question, to relieve
able manufacturers of toys of their worries about a great big seller or to help children
with an amusing little game. We don’t push out the black Jews, and how often has
it to be said, to make room for the not less dubious thirst for action of the white
Jews. Let this be told to the Fabricius Company, before it dedicates itself to the realization
of its somewhat rash dream to publish its completely unwelcome big seller for
Großdeutschland at the forthcoming fairs in spring!
Jews out! yes of course, but also rapidly out of the toy-boxes of our children, before
they are led into the dreadful error that political problems are solved with the dice
cup.”
The public reaction to the game can not be assessed but circumstantial evidence
indicates that the game sold very poorly. The game is mentioned by Barbara Rogasky,
who writes (without giving further sources) that the game was widely distributed and
that by 1938, when the politics of the Nazis still aimed at the forced emigration of the
Jews, this game had sold over 1 million copies (Rogasky 1999: 41). But the information