Volume XXXII No. 11 November, 1977 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE Assoaum OF avmB ROIGBS BI OOAT BRITABI TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF 39 YEARS AFTER LUXEMBOURG AGREEMENT This month, we remember the happenings which arises from the ignorance of the Hitler To mark the 25th anniversary of the Lux­ of November 1938, which were to become a regime among members of the young German embourg Agreement on Restitution, signed on decisive turning point in the history of the September 10, 1952 several publications ap­ generation. Though the participants in neo- peared in Germany. In a special supplement to German and Austrian Jews. It is an unfor­ Nazi activities also include youngsters, we the "Deutschland-Briefe", its Editor Rolf Vogel tunate habit that, even in scholarly works, must not forget that they are children of describes the antecedents and proceedings they are labelled with the term "Kristall­ parents, who were bom between 1933 and of this historical event by which the German nacht". Though meant in an ironical way, the outbreak of war and who therefore could Federal Republic undertook to try and make possibly originating in Nazi Germany itself, not transmit the horrors of the Nazi regime amends for the horror of the Nazi regime, as this slogan is a grave misnomer. What actually from first-hand knowledge. Thus the blame far as this is possible by material compensa­ happened was an outright pogrom on a scale to a high extent rests with the inadequate tion. The agreement provided global payments never before experienced in the whole of for the State of Israel as well as for the Nazi —to put it mildly—school education. It will victims outside Israel, represented by the Con­ Germany. The average German mainly noticed be one of the paramount tasks of the demo­ ference on Jewish Material Claims against the smashed windows of Jewish shops (that's cratic forces in Germany to see to it that the Germany ("Claims Conference"). These un­ where the catchword is derived from) and Hitler period is not glossed over in the school dertakings were fully honoured in the course the burning of the Synagogues. Less thought books and, above all, that the teachers reach of the subsequent years. Beyond this, the is usually given to the deportation of 25,000 /Agreement also laid down the principles of this chapter of history in the course of the individual compensation for Nazi victims. men to the concentration camps of Sachsen­ term scheduled for it. This, it is leamed, is hausen, Dachau and Buchenwald. The atro­ very often not the case. The anniversary is also recorded in a num­ cities and human degradation they had to ber of articles published by the official Bonn endure in the cold winter of that year have Another phenomenon which we experience 32 years after the end of the war in many periodical "Das Parlament". It carries con­ left their indelible mark on them. We also tributions by Annemarie Renger in her capa­ remember in humility those who were killed parts of the world and which is particularly city as chairman of the German-Israeli Group during the pogroms or perished in the camps. dangerous in Germany, is the feeling of of Parliamentarians, Federal Deputy Erik nostalgia, based more often on a primitive Blumenfeld, president of the Deutsch-Israe- Having said this we must, however, not love of adventure stories than, as far as lische Gesellschaft, Dr. F. E. Shinnar (Tel Gennany is concerned, on an outright iden­ Aviv) who took a leading part in the pre­ k tification with the "glorious" past. Therefore, paration and implementation of the agree­ forget that the pogroms also played an impor­ German publications as well as theatre, film ment, and Rolf Vogel. tant role in our history under a different and television performances which are meant aspect. They sen'ed as a signal for mass to make readers and listeners aware of the COURT PROCEEDINGS emigration. Whilst during the SJ years be­ deeper layers of the catastrophe are often tween the beginning of the Nazi regime and counter-productive, much against the inten­ A trial which is expected to last for 2i the pogroms about 150,000 Jews left Germany, tions of the authors and producers. years has started in a Hanover court. Two the number of emigrants during the few It is not the object of these few remarks to former SS leaders of the Security Police in the months between the pogroms and the out­ present an analysis of the serious problems Cracow district are accused of having been responsible for the mass murder of Jews in break of war amounted to 100,000. As far as with which we are faced and which are so they were not caught up by the Nazis in Southern Poland between 1942 and 1944. A different from the climate during the first third accused will not be prosecuted for the occupied Western Europe during the war, post-war years. There is no reason for undue time being because he is 70 years old and !_ they were thus spared the fate of those who alarm. Nevertheless, whenever the 9th of seriously ill. The prosecution has stressed that P' did not get admission to other countries or November comes along, we cannot help re­ the accused acted on their own initiative, had to stay behind for other reasons. membering that day because for the first time eager to please the NS govemment and dis­ When the Nazi terror regime broke down, It fully revealed the depth of barbarism which played an inhuman life-destroying frame of we all expected an unreserved and permanent was soon to sweep the Continent of Europe. mind against Jews whom they considered condemnation of the crimes committed in their unworthy to live in accordance with NS party To paraphrase the old English adage: "Re­ doctrine. name by the German people. In fact, a member, remember the Ninth of November". spirit of shame and repentance prevailed in In Frankfurt the sixth Auschwitz trial has wide circles of the population during the W.R. started. 54-year-old butcher Horst Czerwinski first post-war years. It found its expression from Bergen near Liineburg and plasterer Joseph Maurer from Hofheim, Taunus, are not only in the material compensation under­ NAZI CHANTS BY DRUNKEN OFFICERS taken on a large scale by virtue of the Luxem­ accused of having shot inmates of the Ausch- Eleven young Army officers were dismissed vidtz annex Lagisha after an abortive attempt bourg Agreement a quarter of a century ago to escape. They are alleged to have throvra but, even more importantly, in the genuine because they sang Nazi songs and engaged in a "symbolic burning of Jews" during a drunken dice to determine who should be allowed to do desire of Germans of all walks of life to the shooting. 118 witnesses have been sub­ come to terms with the past. In a way, this spree at Munich. poenaed to testify against the two men. attempt sometimes went further than it would Several ofiicers intervened at the party and Czerwinski is also accused of having ruthlessly have been desirable: there was often a stopped the outrage, reporting it to the head killed three prisoners during an evacuation reluctance to express criticism of individual of the Academy, Lieutenant-General von march in 1945 because they were unable to Jews, even if it would have been justified, Reichert. A newspaper report was issued but walk any further. and the Jews in Germany were, to use a suppressed by the Academy authorities until The Miinsingen court imposed fines on three phrase coined in those days, put under a it leaked out and was published by the men who took part in a camival pageant in "Kaeseglocke". Frankfurter Rundschau. General von Reichert Nazi costume, representing Hitler and two Yet these times have gone. Almost in every then submitted his report to the Defence officers and carrymg a banner reading: "He issue of this joumal we have to report on Minister, Mr Georg Leber, who was described has never before been as valuable as today". manifestations of neo-Nazism, e.g., rallies of as infuriated by the attempt of the ofiBcers' The three appealed against the sentence former SS members, desecrations of Jewish superiors to suppress the incident. The ofiScers maintaining that it had all been meant as a cemeteries, mock buming of "Jews" in an accused of having participated in the mock joke. officers' training college. We quote these in­ In Diisseldorf three unemployed graduates burning of Jews and symbolically singing the are accused of having been members of a cidents only as examples and do not want to Horst Wessel Lied were suspended. In the generalise. Yet it would be equally wrong "revolutionary cell" and thrown bombs in subsequent disciplinary hearings it was de­ cinemas which showed the American Entebbe to disregard them. cided that they be dismissed from the Army. There is, however, also a special problem film. Page 2 AJR INFORMATION November 1977 JEWISH COMMUNITY OF LUEBECK NEWS FROM GERMANY RE-ESTABLISHED ULLSTEIN CENTENARY GERMAN YOUTH WORK IN MAIDANEK For the past years, the province of Schleswig-Holstein had no independent Jew­ To mark the 100th anniversary of the 15 young students from a Protestant study ish community. Recently, the Jewish residents foundation of the Ullstein publishing house group in the Rhineland spent a week of their of Luebeck, who until now were affiliated to by Leopold Ullstein (Fuerth 1829-Berlin 1899) the Hamburg community, have decided to three weeks' holiday visit working in the re-establish their own previous community.