Henry John Allan Adler, born Hans Ludwig Adler in Offenbach on March 30, 1915, emigrated to England on April 10, 1935, "because it was obviously too dangerous and impossible to stay." Otto Hirschfeld came to England in 1939 at the age of seventeen on the Kindertransport, "my parents couldn't find a country that would take them in - too old, no capital" (cf. p.117). Their father had owned a hat factory in Ludwigstraße, which he had to sell for 1/10 of the price in 1937. These two fates are exemplary for the approximately 900 Offenbach Jews who managed to emigrate or flee. After the end of the war, twelve members of the former 1400-strong Jewish community rebuilt it in 1945. Most of them had not survived. Gabriele Hauschke-Wicklaus spent three years studying sources and working in the archives, resulting in the 300-page publication "Jüdische Bürgerinnen und Bürger erinnern sich" (Jewish Citizens Remember), which provides a lively insight into the personal experiences of Offenbach residents after the National Socialists came to power in 1933. Old views of the town, class photos and documents such as those relating to expropriations and compensation issues have been compiled to give an idea of the changes and consequences that these citizens had to bear.
181 Addresses of survivors
In 2007, during her activities for the History Workshop, Gabriele Hauschke-Wicklaus came across interviews and correspondence that Prof. Klaus Werner had conducted in the run-up to his publication "Zur Geschichte der Juden im Offenbach am Main" from 1984 onwards and had not used any further. These were created after the city council wrote to former Jewish citizens for the first time in 1983 in the hope of "making a contribution to understanding". The city of Offenbach was aware of around 181 addresses at the time. Werner wanted to use the personal statements to gain a new perspective on Offenbach's history during the National Socialist era from the point of view of the Jewish population. However, only a few responded at first, most of them did not want to reopen the wounds of the past, others only came forward after the publication of his book. A lively exchange developed with over 60 people, resulting in personal contacts and interviews, some of which were later made available as written sources to the Offenbach City Archives and the Yad Vashem memorial.
The inestimable value of memories
According to Hauschke-Wicklaus, she found the descriptions of life after 1933 and the conditions of emigration to a foreign country "depressing": "The letters show how the National Socialist discrimination and persecution took away a little more of people's participation and life as citizens every day, how hopes were dashed, families torn apart and destroyed." They give an idea of what it meant when friends and neighbors became bystanders and perpetrators. "Reading them made me realize the inestimable value of these memories. This gave rise to the desire to publish them. The former Jewish residents of Offenbach should have their say." After Klaus Werner gave her his collection of material in 2014, the retired history teacher carried out further research, investigated archives, looked for pictures and other documents and made translations.
Giving survivors a voice
The result is a book that gives a voice back to those "who managed to escape but were unable or unwilling to return to Offenbach am Main", said Dr. Felix Schwenke, Head of Cultural Affairs, in his welcoming address on Wednesday, 29 March at the Haus der Stadtgeschichte: "Since 1945, remembrance has been necessary and possible. It must never happen again." The fact that the reappraisal of history is close to the heart of the city's society is demonstrated by the wide range of supporters and sponsors who have made the publication possible.
Lutz Jahnke from Jahnkedesign designed the book, the "young man showed a lot of patience", reports Hauschke-Wicklaus, who had a very precise idea of the combination of the individual documents. On the cover is a view of the old Oppenheimer department store, with a quote from one of the analyzed letters: "It was nice in Offenbach before 1933." And below it another quote: "This is no longer my city!". Between the book covers: Impressive documents and reports that provide personal access in the best sense to what Jewish citizens had to endure in Offenbach, but also in Germany, after 1933.
The book "Jüdische Bürgerinnen und Bürger erinnern sich", published by the Geschichtswerkstatt, ISBN 978-3-939537-46-5, is available in the bookshop on the market, in the Steinmetz'schen bookshop at a price of 19.50 euros.