Bookstore Glossary Library Links News Publications Timeline Virtual Israel Experience
Anti-Semitism Biography History Holocaust Israel Israel Education Myths & Facts Politics Religion Travel US & Israel Vital Stats Women
donate subscribe Contact About Home

The Anti-Jewish Boycott: Boycott Activity in Neustadt Am Aisch

(March 28, May 18 & July 9, 1934)

Letter of the Jewish firm Schwab
To: The Ministry of Economics, Berlin
March 28, 1934

We know that the Ministry of Economics has strictly forbidden any kind of interference by the NS-HAGO [National Socialist Organization of Crafts, Commerce and Industry] in business. In spite of that Neustadt am Aisch is full of signs such as The Jews are our misfortune and Whoever buys from Jews is a traitor to the people. The signs are even hung over streets. In addition, there have been about 60 popular meetings in recent weeks on the Jewish Question, where the speakers gave detailed accounts of cases of race defilement and the shameful acts of citizens who were still buying from Jews. In these meetings old customers that have started to buy from us again, are being named and libeled. In the last days the name of one of our customers from out of town who had bought a work outfit from us was publicly exposed in the Fraenkische Tageszeitung No. 72 and in the Stuermer pillory. The school children spit on customers entering our shop. One lady was pushed along the street with a rain of verbal abuse. The result? A complete cessation of business and total inability on our part to pay our bills. The suppliers with whom we have placed orders and to whom we are obliged based on the assurance of Department Head Feder that from now on there will be quiet and no more interference, refuse to accept cancellations.

And this is being done to a business that has remarkably faithfully served its customers in the last 50 years, that during the inflation has supplied the district offices of the government with cheap merchandise, that no one can blame for the slightest infraction, whose two owners served in the front during the war, and whose senior manager, a decent and honest man, died of a broken heart at the age of 75.

When one asks how this was possible, we can only give the answer of the district head of propaganda at a popular meeting: One year has passed. Next year we will be free of Jews. Everything that is being done is aimed at harming us so that we shall not be able to go on and will be forced to leave. When people ask in the meetings why the government does not forbid the existence of Jewish businesses by law, the answer they are given is the government cannot take such a step. It has to come from the people.

It is not our role to inform the Ministry of Economics about the repercussions such behavior has on our relations to the world, nevertheless we would like to express our concern in view of the circumstances. After all, every foreigner who comes to town or passes through it can see what is going on with his own eyes. One cannot believe the repeated promises by the Ministry of Economics that it does not tolerate the persecution of the Jews. Neustadt and Franconia only seek the expulsion of the Jews. Other countries do not deal with the question whether the events in Franconia are exceptional or not. Abroad they simply say: If as strong a government as the German tolerates these events, it must agree to them.

The undersigned, an owner of the Schwab Brothers of Neustadt, a few years ago had to create a branch of the firm in Wuerzburg because the local branch had been under attack for 10 years and could not provide for three families. This step was not taken out of arrogance or a wish to expand, but out of true need....Therefore the undersigned on behalf of his family requests the Ministry of Economics to take measures to prevent the destruction of our existence in Neustadt so that loyal and decent patriots will not be forced to leave their homeland.

Sincerely,
The Brothers Schwab


Letter by the District Government, District Office in Neustadt
To: The Government of Franconia, Department of Interior, Ansbach
May 18, 1934

Re: Boycott against Jews.

... Regarding the complaint of the Brothers Schwab and in order to execute the government resolution, we refer you to the letter of the District head of Neustadt am Aisch of the National Socialist Party. The government resolution and the relevant instructions of the appropriate offices--as far as they were known to us--were forwarded to the District Head. In Neustadt am Aisch now there are even more signs on shop windows than before with the inscription The Jews are our misfortune. There can be no objection to such signs that are merely stating a fact. They cannot be regarded as a call for boycott.

Also, the signs that can be found in some grocery shops Jews are not served do not give reason to intervene, if one interprets the law...in a responsible manner that is fitting to our times. (There must be no doubt that one can find reasons in the spirit of the regulation...not to apply the law when a National Socialist refuses to sell food to a Jew)....


Letter by the Party District Office, National Socialist Workers Party
Head of the Neustadt am Aisch District
To: The District Office, Neustadt.
May 18, 1934

Re: Boycott of Jews

Regarding the letter of the Schwab Brothers to the Ministry of Economics of 28 May 1934, The Head of the District declares:

It is a lie that the whole of Neustadt was full with signs Whoever buys from Jews is a traitor to the people during the NS-HAGO week.

It is a lie to claim that the names of those buying from Jews are exposed on the pillory.

It is true that there is no pillory for such people in Neustadt.

It is outrageous that the meetings that were held on the Jewish Question during the NS-HAGO week are given as an example. The meetings were held from 20 February to 17 March.

It is a lie that school children chased a woman along the street, cursed her and spat at her in front of customers.

It is true that no one heard or saw such an event.

It is a lie to claim that these actions are carried out to harm the Jews so that they would have to emigrate.

It is true that the Jews had been hated in Neustadt for over 10 years, as the Jew himself admits, due to their moral and political views. (A detailed report has been submitted to the Ministry of Economy a year ago).

It is a lie and an insult to our political leaders in the area when it is said that the district leaders of Neustadt wish to set an example on how to expel the Jews.

It is true that it is a miracle how in such a bastion of National Socialism as Neustadt, not a hair on a Jews head was harmed, in spite of their shameful behavior.

It is outrageous that the Jew Schwab quotes out of context the words of the Party District Head of Propaganda.

It is true that the Head of Propaganda in a closed meeting of Party members stated the mere fact that if the emigration of Jews from Neustadt will continue at the same rate, we shall be able to say next year: A year has passed, next year we will be free of Jews.

A General Description of the Jew Schwab:

We do not wish to react to his empty phrases such as loyal and decent patriots. Whoever knows the Jew, knows that he does not have a homeland in Germany and therefore there could be no honest intentions on his part. Especially not the Jew Schwab.

Already in 1926 it was the Jew Schwab who tried to disrupt National Socialist meetings. Thus he appeared that year at a meeting where the leader of Franconia, Julius Streicher, gave a speech and violently cursed him. He was also the author of many articles in newspapers in which he slandered our great movement. Thus the Jew Schwab made himself hated in Neustadt, which has been a bastion of the National Socialist movement for years. During the National Socialist revolution, it was the political leaders of Neustadt who prevented the people from acting on their justified hostility towards the Jew Schwab. And this is what he calls persecution of the Jews.

Fritz SchoellerAdolf Meyer
District Head of PropagandaDistrict Head


Letter by the Local Government
To the Ministry of Economics [Bavaria], Department of Commerce, Industry and Crafts
July 9, 1934

Re: boycott against Jews.

... According to the district office at Fuerth, the resolution of the local council regarding the pillory was not followed at Cadolzburg.

Regardthe complaint of the Brothers Schwab in Neustadt on Aisch, the District Office, as was reported to us, gave appropriate instructions to the [Party] Head of the District. The District Office has informed us that now there are only signs left saying: The Jews are our misfortune, the existence of which cannot be prevented.

The city of Nuremberg reports that there were no complaints regarding boycotting of shops....


Sources: Yad Vashem Archive M1DN 207.