Vol. XII No. 9 September, 1957 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN GREAT BRITAIN 8 FAIRFAX MANSIONS. O^ce and Consulting Hours: FINCHLEY ROAD (Corner Fairfax Ro»d), Monday to Thursday 10 a.m.— I p.m. 3—6 p.m. LONDON, N.W.3 Friday 10 a.m.—I p.m. Telephone: MAIda Vale 9096/7 (General Office) MAIda Vale 4449 (Employment Atency and Social Services Dept.) SEPTEMBER 15th AND AFTER A NEW YEAR The Forthcoming German Elections The perio(i of the High Festivals is a time when we pause for contemplation— Some of our readers are likely to ask: " Is it high one. A spokesman of the Zentrale, who really one of the AJR's concerns to take a attended meetings of various strongly anti- when we review the past year and take special interest in the hustings of the forth­ Nazi organisations, drew attention to a stock of our hopes for the future. coming general elections of the Bundes- sinister development which indicated the republik ? " They may argue quite justly that existence of international anti-Semitic co-opera­ Although this is written to convey our tne overwhelming majority of German-Jewish tion. When summing up he stressed that we New Year greetings to our friends, we refugees from Nazi oppression are no longer should beware of minimising as well as over­ write with a heavy heart. For many years *-^rmans; that for them the past is a mere span rating these storm signals, but we cannot help it was our privilege, on the occasion of 01 history, and that for the new Jewish genera- realising that this does not get us very far. J^n which has grown up since 1933 a new era the High Holydays, to piiblish a message "egan when Hitler came to power. Revaluation of Judaism from our revered leader, the late Rabbi Such reasoning, however, would imply con­ Dr. Leo Baeck. In his unique way he troversial over-simplification. World history It is, therefore, gratifying to see that the would forge a link between the etemal attitude of the Christian churches—Protestant ^^ established in Judaism and Jews a unique values of Judaism and their meaning in and living link between the past and the present, and Catholic—stands out in sharp relief against *tth lasting relations between Jews—both in the this dark background. It is also heartening to the present day. Now. for the first time, tJiaspora and in Israel—and the nations all the hear, from the meeting on " Church and we can no longer call on him. But his World over. These vertical and horizontal bonds Judaism" convened by the Deutsch-Evange- life and his work are an ever-lasting lischer Ausschuss fuer Dienst an Israel, that the nave proved their permanence and—paradoxical inspiration for us. ^s It may sound in the face of 2,000 years of younger generation, and students especially, persecution—the more so if and when resting seems rather immune to nationalist or racialist It is our sincere wish that the coming on a spiritual rather than a material foundation. phraseology appealing to emotional fallacies. year will bring happiness and well-being Lectures of the late and never-to-be-forgotten A ^l^'t^S such reflections, so to speak, as the to all our friends, and that we may all prchimedean point of approach to the foUow- Rabbi Dr. Leo Baeck and of Martin Buber, tje observations, the significance of the outcome arranged by a number of German universities, go forward in a better and a peaceful ot the general elections in Western Germany were overcrowded, and a representative con­ world. ^ September 15th may well be far-reaching, or ference of Evangelic Theologians was addressed even decisive, for Germany's destiny and all it by Dr. Wilhelm, the Swedish Chief Rabbi, who tnplies. Of course, these observations are not spoke on " Leo Baeck as a Jew and a Euro­ RUECKERSTATTUNGSGESETZ tne pretext of a tour d'horizon round world pean ". In this connection it is also noteworthy politics, nor will there be any soothsaying that Mgr. Cucchetti, a high dignitary of the Anmeldung von Anspriichen Whether the next Bundeskanzler will be the Catholic church who lately visited Israel, made it quite clear in his farewell address that the Die amtlichen Anmeldeformulare und die .^rand Old Man " once more or a newcomer. Merkblaetter zu ihrer Erlaeuterung fuer die '>T 1 he sole aim and end is an attempt to establish attitude of the Catholic church towards Anmeldung der durch das Gesetz neu begruendeten lair balance between the anxieties and expec- Judaism is now much more positive and Rueckerstaltungsansprueche und zur Anmeldung ^'lons of Jews in general and German Jews in encouraging than hitherto. " I wish to end my derjenigen Ansprueche, fuer welche die neue particular, as to whether the new Bundestag message"—these were the final sentences of Anmeldefrist eroeffnet worden ist (siehe die til herald a more reactionary and less demo- his address—" with a few words of brother­ Sonderbeilage zu unserer Juli—Nummer auf Seite ratic tendency in German politics than up till hood and love. Hold fast to your faith, your 12 and 13) sind soeben erschienen und koennen 0*. or whether its members will sincerely try poetry, your music. ... Be the backbone and beim United Restitution Office, 183/9 Finchley the essence of civilised life in future centuries ". Road, London, N.W.3 angefordert werden (1/- und 0 assuage a smouldering or still open Jewish Freiumschlag.) •^ssentment. It goes without saying that these noble words might even meet with a stronger response from Fuer Ansprueche, welche Entziehungen in der Diaspora Jews than from Israelis. britischen Zone betreffen, sind die Anmeldungen Anti-Semitic Trends an das Verwaltungsamt fuer innere Restitutionen, Furthermore, there is good reason to hope Stadthagen, Obemstrasse 29 zu richten (frueher that a deeper understanding and a reappraisal Zentralamt Bad Nenndorf). Fuer die amerikanische Quite frankly, news from Germany indicates Zone ist das Verwaltungsamt fuer innere Restitu­ ^^t anti-Semitism has by no means disap­ of the perennial values of Judaism may well tionen, Aussenstelle Muenchen, Muenchen 2, peared ; although it would be unrealistic to be advanced among a new German elite when Deroystrasse 4/II zustaendig (frueher Zentral­ "lagine that anti-Semitism could have been the monumental compendium "Judentum, anmeldeamt Bad Nauheim). Zustaedig fuer ompletely eradicated even after the catastro- Geschichte und Gegenwart" edited by Pro­ Berlin ist der Haupttreuhaender fuer Rueckerstat- Pt»c collapse of Hitler and his hateful regime, fessor Dr. Franz Boehm (that staunch champion tungsvermoegen, Berlin W 30, Nuemberger areful research by various institutes of public of the cause and rights of German Jews) Strasse 53-55 (frueher Treuhaender der Mili­ pinion discloses rather disturbing facts. We together with Walter Dirks and Dr. Rudolf taerregierungen). Jfi informed that one-third of those who were Heilbrunn, appears. Die Anmeldungen sind in vierfacher Ausfer- Westioned are still imbued with anti-Semitic The significance of the tendencies referred tigun einzureichen. i/^J"dices. Commenting on this unpleasant to in the two fundamentally contradictory sets Weiter ist bekannt geworden, dass die Ober­ of facts just mentioned, js self-explanatory in finanzdirektionen bei der Befriedigung der im ^tement Die Zentrale fuer Heimatdienst, a Rueckerstattungsverfahren bereits fest gestellten J,"^'"Official and entirely unbiased organisation, a way, because they reveal a basic problem in Ansprueche die bisherige Praxis der Gewaehrung J. °s some even more alarming details. It men- the German mind. There is no need, therefore, zinsloser Darlehen auch weiter aufrecht erhalten ons that although a large proportion of those to explain in detail that the Association of werden. Vorschuesse im Sinne von § 33 BRueG noer the influence of Nazism are, of course, Jewish Refugees, as the standard-bearer of our (siehe Seite 13 der Sonderbeilage) kommen nur in led ^^ticated people without any direct know- German-Jewish heritage, can only whole­ solchen Faellen in Betracht, in welchen bereits ein of tK °^ ^^*^ ^^'^ Jewish life, the percentage heartedly wish that, together with material Bescheid der Oberfinanzdirektionen im Befriedi­ t those with Nazi leanings belonging to the well-being, better sense may continue to prosper gungsverfahren gemaess § 39 BRueG (siehe Seite Ij/^^lled educated classes and especially to the in Germany after the elections. 14 der Sonderbeilage) vorliegt. ^fal academic professions, is an appallingly L.Z. More Restitution News on p. 2 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION September, 1957 RESTITUTION NEWS FROM THE GERMAN SCENE STUNDLNG DER HVPOTHEKEN- GEWLNNABGABE EXTREME NATIONALISM ROEHM PUTSCH TRIAL August Haussleiter's periodical " Die Deutsche After the trial which dealt with the events in Eine wichtige Entscfaeidung Gemeinschaft" published an article by its corre­ Silesia during the Roehm affair, a court in Nach Artikel 6 Abs. I, Teil X des Bonner spondent in Saudi Arabia under the title " Kapo Osnabrueck convicted the main defendant Udo des Kolonialismus ". This article states that the von Woyrsch, who in 1934 was the supreme S.S. Ueberleitungsvertrages sind die Angehoerigen der Allies wanted to turn Germany into a cattle leader in Silesia, of complicity in six cases of Vereinten Nationen bis zur endgueltigen Regelung pasture and German factories were therefore manslaughter and of manslaughter in two cases, der sich aus dem Kriege ergebenden Ansprueche dismantled and the patents were stolen whilst and sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment. The gegen Deutschland von alien Sondersteuern, Allied tribunals, supported by people like Otto other defendant, Ernst Mueller-Altenau, was Abgaben oder Auflagen befreit, die sich tatsaech­ John, celebrated orgies of a new-fangled justice. acquitted. Taking into consideration the time lich auf das Vermoegen auswirken und zu dem Neither England nor France, the article goes on, Woyrsch, who is 62, has already spent in captivity besonderen Zweck auferlegt werden, Lasten zu were able to recover economically; after a guilt complex had been inculcated the Germans had to or in prison, he will have to serve another two decken, die sich aus dem Kriege oder aus Repara- years and a half.