Pre-war German Jewish Life
All of the German Jewish collections at the University of Sussex were donated by families who came to the UK as refugees from Nazi persecution. Many of them brought documents with them, which show Jewish life before Hitler came to power. These archival materials show a broad range of Jewish identities. While most families considered themselves assimilated by the 1930s, the material also reveals traces of antisemitism and Jewish segregation.
- Julie Ehrenberg – an extraordinary woman
- Lewin Gedalge takes a surname
1914–1918 World War I
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 was seen by many German Jews as a chance to prove that they were equally patriotic and willing to fight for their country as non-Jewish Germans. Images in this ‘collection’ show:
- Eva Sommer working for the war effort
- Heinz Federmann died in battle
- Julius Sondheimer and his hope for an end of antisemitism
1939 Getting out
Even though antisemitic legislation was passed very quickly after Hitler came to power, many Jews were hopeful that the regime would be short-lived. Only after the pogroms of the so-called ‘Kristallnacht’, it became undeniable that a normal life in Germany had become impossible. So even those who had been initially reluctant to leave, now looked for routes to safety. At the same time, many countries began to close their doors and escape became increasingly difficult.
- The Mandel Family : Getting out of Austria
1939–1945 World War II
Once War had been declared, it became more difficult to keep in touch for those who had left Germany with their friends and family they had left behind. Soon the only way of communicating with those in Germany was via Red Cross Messages. These were restricted to 25 words per message and they usually took at least 2-4 weeks from the UK to Germany, often longer.
- Waclaw Piotrowski writes to his mother from Auschwitz
- Gerda and Paul keep in touch through the Red Cross
1946–1947 Finding out what happened
Once World War II was over, those who had survived were searching for the friends and family amidst the chaos of post-war Europe. The personal letters written at this time show the chaotic situation in post-war Europe.
- What happend to Gerda’s father Paul in Berlin?
- What happened to Tina Mandel’s husband Hermann in Austria?
1953 Restitution
In 1953 the first restitution legislation came into power in the newly formed Federal Republic of Germany. This legislation was supposed to address the financial losses due to Nazi persecution. The process for claiming restitution entailed bringing recorded evidence for what lost and for the fact that it was lost as a direct result of persecution. The paperwork resulting from the claims show a complex procedure that also tell detailed stories of persecution and loss.
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