A Final Reckoning: A Hannover Family's Life and Death in the Shoah

Appendix: Circular for Jewish Community Members Anticipating Deportation

Appendix Circular for Jewish Community Members Anticipating Deportation From the Central Archive for the History of the Jewish People, Jerusalem Translated from the German by Ruth Gutmann. District Office Northwest Germany of the Reichsvereinigung of the Jews in Germany . Administrative Office, Hannover Circular 1 Hannover, July 11, 1942 Bergstrasse 8 Telephone 4-01-92 Mr. Mrs. Miss On orders of the authorities we are required to inform you that You Your wife Your children Have been included in a transport to migrate to Theresienstadt that will in all likelihood leave Hannover on the 23rd of this month. We are kindly asking you to complete the enclosed declaration of your resources. This is to be done separately for you, for your wife, and any person expected to be migrating with you. This is to be done carefully and returned to Bergstrasse 8 no later than 184 Appendix midday of the 17th of this month. Keeping this date is absolutely necessary. A clear handwriting is essential. Not to be included in the declaration: 1. Those items that people expect to take along when they migrate (50 kilogram ). For this information compare Circular 2. 2. Those items that are intended as equipment for the whole transport (sewing machines, tools, cooking pans, etc.). All documents relating to your possessions, such as proof of mortgages and savings bank accounts are to be attached to the declaration of your possessions. The amounts currently allowed for your limited use by the Finanzamt and Foreign Currency Division may be withdrawn to the extent of the permitted amount. Should you need your bank book, you may retain it for the time being, but it must be brought to the place of collection for the transport. On orders of the authorities every participant of the transport must donate part of his available funds to the Reichsvereingung. The donation should not be less than 25% of your available funds. This should not include other possessions. Your donation is to cover the amounts other participants are allowed to take along [but do not possess?] and cover the cost of equipment etc. Other uses are for the Welfare needs of the Reichsvereinigung. Besides the above, the usual fees for the Reichsvereinigung for all of 1942 and any outstanding debts to the RV of prior years, as well as the specially assessed amount for the year 1942 are to be paid now. The enclosed donation form is to be completed for your donation that you will pay to the RV. These donations and contributions are not to be included in the completed declaration. They are to be deposited at the Dresdner Bank, Branch Hannover, Acct. 57158. Or paid in cash to our office Bergstrasse 8. Your donation is to be paid to the address in Hamburg as shown on the donation form. We call your attention to the importance of completing the declaration of your resources with great care. Untrue or unclear information will be severely punished by the authorities issuing this order. Appendix 185 If you still have bicycles, cameras, light meters, enlargement equipment, binoculars , typewriters, calculators, electrical equipment and spare parts, these are to be brought to Bergstrasse 8 without delay, or for those outside Hannover on this transport, by mail. Every item that is brought to the office must be carefully labeled with the owner’s first and second name. These items are not to be included on your list of resources either. District Office Northwest Germany of the Reichsvereinigung of the Jews of Germany Administrative Office, Hannover. ...