Dealing with Disenfranchisement - Additional Info Landmarks of Jewish History
From 1933 onward, people persecuted as “Jewish” were forced out of society. In addition to exclusion, this meant increasing disenfranchisement, deprivation, and physical violence. Those affected reacted in different ways: emigrating, waiting and seeing, and getting involved locally. The scope for action and strategies depended on gender, age, financial situation, and family circumstances.
In 1933, approximately 19,000 Jews resided in Hamburg, Altona, and Wandsbek. The German-Israelite Congregation and welfare organizations took care of the growing number of unemployed and impoverished people among them. Counseling centers arranged jobs and loans. Retraining, e. g., in training workshops, was intended to create the best possible prospects for emigration. Jewish associations, libraries, and events were aimed at enabling participation in cultural life.
Jewish Cultural Association
Jewish artists were excluded from cultural life in 1933. In the same year, a precursor to the Jewish Cultural Association (‘Jüdischer Kulturbund’) of Hamburg was founded. Its primary goal was to find work for unemployed artists. This led to the creation of its own theater and music ensembles, which were only allowed to perform before Jewish audiences. The program was closely monitored by the Nazi authorities. In 1941, the association was disbanded.
Emigration and flight
Between 1933 and 1941, more than half of Hamburg’s Jewish population emigrated: up to 12,000 people. The pogroms in November 1938 triggered a large wave of emigration. Parents and congregations organized so-called children transports (‘Kindertransporte’) to supposedly safe countries abroad. The outbreak of World War II made escape more difficult from 1939 onward. In October 1941, emigration was banned. Deportations began in the same month.
The Congregation after 1933
The Hamburg German-Israelite Congregation existed until 1937. Then the congregations in Hamburg, Wandsbek, Harburg-Wilhelmsburg, and Altona were forcibly merged. Now known as the Jewish Religious Association of Hamburg, the congregation became subject to taxation. At the same time, income fell due to emigration and the impoverishment of its members. In 1939, it also took over public welfare after Jews were excluded from state benefits.
Poster for a Hanukkah event organized by the Jewish Cultural Association
Kurt Löwengard, lithograph, 1936, reproduction, Museum für Kunst & Gewerbe, Inv. No. EP2018.436
The Jewish public was excluded from general cultural events. The Cultural Association (‘Kulturbund’) established its own cultural activities through a diverse program. Visits to the cinema, theater, and exhibitions became – within narrow limits – places of refuge and means of self-assertion.
Advertisements from the newsletter of the German-Israelite Congregation
Compilation from Gemeindeblatt Volume 13 of 1937, printed works, reproductions, Digital collections of Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Compact Memory
From 1933 onward, ads in Jewish newspapers clearly reflected the growing isolation, impoverishment, and pressure to emigrate. These included proposals for marriage abroad, transport offers for international moving, appeals for donations from welfare organizations, and Hebrew language textbooks.
Lucy Borchard(t)
shipowner, 1877–1969
Newspaper report about Lucy Borchardt, Israelitisches Familienblatt 8 (1935), p. 7, printed work, reproduction, SHMH Museum of Hamburg History, reference number AI XXVI 5020
After her husband’s death, Lucy Borchardt took over the Fairplay Schlepp-Dampfschiffsreederei, a tugboat and steamship company, in 1930. After 1933, she became involved in helping adolescents emigrate to Palestine, enabling them to obtain the necessary training and professional qualifications. Her cargo ships transported illegal emigrants.
Fanny David
Administrative Officer, 1892–1944
Photograph, 1917–1918, Hamburg State Archives, reference number 720-1/2-215 Da 160 [D]
The administrative officer Fanny David headed the state welfare office in Barmbek. In 1933, she was dismissed from her position because she was Jewish. She then worked for the German-Israelite Congregation, organizing the takeover of public welfare. In 1944, she was murdered in Auschwitz.
Peggy Parnass
Actress, Author, anti-Fascist, 1927–2025
Peggy Parnass and her parents, page from her photo album, 1930/1934/1942, reproduction, Hamburg Institute for Social Research, Peggy Parnass estate, reference number PEP 605B1
In 1939, Peggy Parnass traveled from Hamburg to Stockholm on a ‘children transport’ (‘Kindertransport’). Her parents were murdered in the Treblinka extermination camp. As an adult, she returned to Hamburg. All her life, she was committed to coping with Nazi crimes, promoting tolerance, and defending the minority rights.
Fruit Bowl Decorated with Stars of David
Lead crystal glass, 1910–1920, SHMH Museum of Hamburg History, Inv. No. 2016-456
The glass bowl comes from the household of Minka and Julius Behrend. On December 6, 1941, they were deported to Riga and murdered there. The couple allegedly gave the bowl to their non-Jewish neighbors. However, there is no proof that the transfer of ownership was voluntary. There are similar stories about many objects from the households of Jews who fled or were murdered.