Report of the Regional Branch of the Central Association (CV) in Leipzig, July 1933
Report of the Regional Branch of the Central Association (CV) in Leipzig, July 1933
Source : Yad Vashem Archive 0.51/OSO/206
Middle Germany Regional Association of the Centralverein of German Citizens of Jewish Faith Leipzig, 6 July 1933
To the Centre in Berlin.
We herewith submit the report of the Regional Association for Middle Germany for the month of June. The Reichsstatthalter of Saxony, Gauleiter Mutzschmann gave an anti-Jewish speech in Chemnitz city hall. The same was true of a speech to the economic leadership of Dresden. Saxony's Minister of Interior Fritsch gave a speech at Glauchau city hall, which was also very hostile to the Jews. Citing grounds of public security and order, the police commissioner of Leipzig prohibited a Centralverein (CV) meeting, which was scheduled to discuss the problems of Jewish employers and employees. An exhaustive discussion with Police commissioner Knoofe revealed that the origin of the prohibition was not to be found in the nature of our organisation, but in the general tense situation. The situation of the Jews in Halberstadt was very disturbing for several days. For this reason, the regional association sent council member Kamnitzer over there to speak with our local people. They asked him to refrain from any official intervention. The situation has now calmed down. Kamnitzer was also sent to Magdeburg, where Dr. Merzbach was taken into protective custody and his apartment was searched. He has meanwhile been released. The president of the Court of Chemnitz issued a decree that all workers employed by him are forbidden to purchase in Jewish, Marxist or other enterprises that are hostile to the State. In answer to a written petition by the Chairman of our regional association, Court President von Miaskowski declared that he did not intend to identify all Jews with elements hostile to the State, and that he intended his decree to say: in Jewish and Marxist shops that are hostile to the State, or any other shops hostile to the State. In its meeting in Halle, the National Socialist lawyers association discussed what Aryan firms could continue working with Jewish lawyers.
The City Council of Plauen issued a decree forbidding Jews to use public baths. We directed a complaint to the supervising authority of the district Zwickau.
The Jewish cemetery of Zittau was defiled. The perpetrator was a former member of the Communist party.
The State Opera in Dresden dismissed its director and other employees… Two members of the choir were dismissed because they were deemed politically unreliable.
The ministry of national education in Saxony organised a course for physicians on racial theory. It was stressed that if the course was forced to be cancelled due to lack of participants, special measures would be taken against the physicians.
The women's seminary in Leipzig refused to enrol a Jewish student. Our intervention resulted in an order by the ministry that the student be accepted.
At a meeting of Hitler Youth, which the schools made mandatory, it was declared that Jews, Negroes and foreign races, even if they are citizens of the State, were not to take part.
The League for the Struggle of the Commercial Middle Class continued its boycott against a Jewish firm. The firm had put up the sign "Pentecost Sale" in spite of the League's demand that they refrain from doing so. Our local members held a meeting to discuss the situation with our council member Sabatzky. There were also notifications in the press that German housewives should beware not to have their names publicised in connection with anti-German conduct.
We have advised owners of a "Merkur" health insurance policy in Nuremberg to protest against their being excluded from the insurance or being charged extra fees if they remain…
The local SA group in Chemnitz ordered that Jews had to put their cars at the disposal of the SA whenever demanded. This continued for several weeks until the party leadership stopped it.
The chairman and board members of the regional association had a meeting with Dr. von Buch, personal assistant to [Saxony's] Minister of Economy in Dresden regarding the economic measures of excluding Jewish dealers from markets and fairs and the extension of the boycotts. We pointed out that these actions were against the law. Dr. von Buch admitted this was so, and promised to act in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior. Dr. von Buch asked us to submit a memorandum…
Meetings were held with the general consuls of Persia, China and Japan in Leipzig regarding the possible settlement of physicians in those countries…
We gave legal assistance to the employees of the Theodor Althoff firm… in Leipzig, who had been dismissed because of their Jewish origin. They were represented in a labour court by council member Sabatzky. The court ruled that the abrupt dismissal was contrary to the law and made the firm pay their salaries through the time allowed to give notice. The verdict determined that although the firm had the right to forgo the services of the employees, they could not avoid paying the salaries during the mandatory notice period…
