THE FIGHT of BENJAMIN POGRUND These Publications Became Illegal
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Volume XXVII No. 5 May, 1972 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOOAnOM OF JiWISH REFUGEES IN GREAT BRITAIN Margot Pottlitzer personally with people who have a con tribution to make, but who lack the time or the inclination to put it down on paper. We are particularly interested in reports REVIEWING OUR PAST from people outside London, as their experiences are bound to be more varied An Important New Venture and often more interesting in view of their closer contacts with their non-refugee In a few months' time it will be forty are compelling reasons for doing it now: environment. y^ars since the National Socialists came to If the history of the emigrants from Ger The history of the Jews from Germany P°*er in Germany. The SOth January, many is to be written at all, it will to a forms an integral part of Jewish history as ^33, will forever mark a turning point in large extent be based on the evidence pro a whole. What we are trying to achieve, oiodern European history. What happened vided by those who were part of it, and will in all probability not be the definite on that day was to aflfect the lives of count they are not getting any younger. The version—we are still too close in time to ess men, women and children and of framework is there: The extemal circum the events for that to be possible. It will, S^nerations yet unborn; to us, above all, it stances, the laws and regulations that however, provide the future historian with jnarked the opening of the last chapter of governed the life of a refugee from the the basic elements for his evaluation of ^^ history of Jews in Germany. The Final moment of arrival to his final acceptance as one of the darkest periods of Jewish his '^'^lution which ended that chapter has a naturalised citizen, are well documented tory. The knowledge we hoi>e to gain is ound many chroniclers, and, at least on from official and other sources, but for the badly needed even at the present moment, ne European continent, most of what has actual evidence, for the details of day-to it has inter alia some relevance to the happened since then, has happened in its day experience we shall have to rely on ubiquitous problem of the generation gap. shadow. the co-operation of our friends. Parents whose children were bom or grew In the course of our investigations we up in this country are often heard to com Where Do We Stand Today? shall have to interview many individuals plain that in their case the generation gap for the special light they may be able to is more obvious than elsewhere, that the throw on various aspects of refugee and new generation refuses to listen to their There is, however, one not unimportant immigrant life. A start has already been personal histories or is highly critical of P^^t of that chapter which has not yet made in interviewing leading personalities their past behaviour, that the young often oeen recorded, and that part refers to the of the refugee community. It is at least refuse to speak German or to admit that nistory of the Jews from Germany who, equally important, however, to have as they understand it, thus obviously widen dispersed across the globe, survived to re- much evidence as possible, from as many ing the gap even more. uild new lives on the ruins of their old members of our group as possible, on their ones. The need for a record of their experi own individual experiences. In the nature Three Generations ences has been increasingly felt by Jewish of things they all differ greatly, and we refugees from Germany because, far from appeal to all those who read this article elating to the past alone, their history, Furthermore, the original newcomers to help in this very important work. We did not all belong to the same generation, °.'^r history, raises some important ques- shall be very glad to have any relevant "ons for the present and the future: How and consequently their experiences and material, such as diaries, letters, newspaper outlook did and do differ greatly. There ^f have immigrants from Gennany re cuttings, documents, and of course personal joined a separate identity? What contribu- are those who were approaching middle age reminiscences relevant to the subject. All when they arrived and had to remake their |on have they been able to make to the this is needed to make our study come lives more or less completely, there are jj^e of their countries of resettlement? alive. Wow much of the spirituail inheritance others who either came as children or ^ German Jewry has been preserved? finished their education in this country, Readers' Help Required and there is finally the new generation Have they been able to pass on to their born over here to refugee parents and Children a meaningful link with that heri- with a very complex attitude towards its age? These are only a very few of the We do not want to give the bare origins. All these factors will enter into ^ints that come to mind in that context, facts only, we shall want to show what our study which will ultimately have to «nd aware of the fact that time is running made people come to this country in the face the question whether our group will ^t, the Council of Jews from Germany first place, the means to achieve this (per continue to be an identifiable and coherent *nich operates in all major countries of mits, etc.), how they were received, how community comparable to former groups of J^'uge, has called for a collection of they reacted, how much they were ham immigrants or whether it will eventually ^aterial for research into the subject in pered by language difficulties, what they disappear. Ijese countries, i.e. for the time being in did to earn a living, how they were .ne United States, in Israel, in France and affected by war and intemment, and even The historian merely poses the ques J^ the United Kingdom. In this country the tually their integration into the various tion from a desire to know the facts—he r>JR, which is the British constituent of sectors of life in this country. Where do has no ready-made answer. It is hoped that ne Council, is the obvious organisation to we stand today? Any information that helps when the results of our investigations are ^Ponsor the project, and it is hoped that to enlarge on these topics will be grate published, the outlines of an answer to ^entually the results will be published as fully received, and, of course, treated in some of the questions will be seen, and * book. strict confidence. Original documents will that many of our readers will feel impelled There are good reasons why nothing like be retumed as soon as possible. We shall to make their own contribution to prob 'i'^ has been attempted before, but there also gladly undertake to discuss such topics lems that are very much their own. Page 2 AJR INFORMATION aVIay, 1972 GERMANY AND AUSTRIA DEUTSCHE SOZIALVERSICHERUNG Zur Frage der Nach—und Weiterversicherung NAHUM GOLDMANN AT BROTHERHOOD WAR CRIMES Jeder Verfolgte, des&en Versicherung in WEEK Deutschland aus Verfolgungsgriinden (z.B. Alleged Nazi Past of Security Chief Auswandenmg) beendet worden ist, ist nach This year's German Brotherhood Week was der jetzigen Gesetzgebimg berechtigt, sich inaugurated by a rally in Munster, at which Mr. Hubert Schruebbers, the 64-year-old freiwillig nach—xmd/oder weiterzuversichern. Dr. Nahum Goldmann spoke about " The head of the Federal Office for the Protection Jews and the Nations ". The specific position of the Constitution in Cologne, who has been Dies is(t in alien den Fallen wichteg, in denen of the Jews, he stated, arose from the fact the West German counter-intelligence chief eine deutsche Versicherungszeit weniger als that only a minority of them lived in a State since 1955, has resigned prematurely. His 180 (besser 181) Monate betragt. Denn nur of their own, whereas the majority were dis action is the result of an official inquiry by bei einer deutschein Vers icherungs zeit von persed over the whole world in at least 62 the Ministry of the Interior into allegations mindestens 180 Monaten ist ein deutsohes countries. By the creation of the State of conceming his record as a prosecutor during Altersruhegeld selbstdndig neben einer Israel the Jewisih situation has been enriched the Nazi regime. Allegations were made by etwadgen britischen OW Age Pension zahlbar. and has become more meaningful but not less the news magazine, " Der Spiegel," that Mr. complicaited. Schruebbers had been invo'ved in the prose Weirn z.B. ein junges Madchen vor der Referring to the relationship between Is cution of Hitler's opponents. Mr. Schrueb Auswanderung im Alter von mehr als 16 rael and Germany, Dr. GoMmann stated that bers was informed of the findings, which were Jahren m Deutschland im Haushalt tatig every nation had to incorporate into its ap not disclosed, and he then asked to retire at wurde, um eine Einwanderungseriaubnis nach proach to history all chapters of its past, both the end of April instead of in November. Grossbritannien als Hausange&tellte zu the high points and the depths. He recog erhalten, dann muss sie in Deutschland fiir nised the generous way in which the German die Zeit ihrer Besohaftigung in der deutschen Federal Republic under all its Governments Auschwitz Architects Free had implemented the idea of material com Arbeiter- Rentenversicherung (Invaliden- pensation and expressed the hope that there The two Austrian architects who admitted Versicherumg) versiohert gewesen sein.