Escaping Hitler: A Jewish Haven in Chile

Image Plates

a train transporting Jews to concentration camps. (courtesy of united states Holocaust memorial museum # 05072) grandparents’ letter from november 9, 1941, sent from Burgsteinfurt, germany. it was the last letter my parents received before my grandparents were taken away by the nazis. We never heard from them again. (author’s photo) The burning of some twenty thousand books, most written by Jewish authors, in a Berlin square on may 10, 1933. They were considered dangerous for germans. (courtesy of united states Holocaust memorial museum, # 01620) my mother’s german i.d. The three stamps have swastikas, and a big red J enables easy and quick recognition of Jews. (author’s photo) dr. Emil goldschmidt, my father, talking to students and their mothers at the Jewish school where he was principal. (courtesy of stadtarchiv stuttgart, germany) stuttgart synagogue in ruins after Kristallnacht, november 9, 1938. (courtesy of Bildarchiv preussicher Kulturbesitz) a Jewish store destroyed during Kristallnacht. (courtesy of united states Holocaust memorial museum # 86838) nürnberg synagogue completely burned out during Kristallnacht. (courtesy of united states Holocaust memorial museum #03627) The headline “llegada de Judíos está convirtiendo a chile en la palestina de sudam érica” (The arrival of Jews is transforming chile into the palestine of south america) appeared in the santiago newspaper La Patria, a very anti-Jewish newspaper, likely subsidized by the Third reich. The date is June 16, 1939. (author’s photo) The headline “mueran los Judíos” (death to the Jews) appeared in La Patria on march 9, 1940. (author’s photo) The headline “los Judíos constituyen un peligro para chile” (The Jews constitute a danger to chile) appeared in La Patria on February 12, 1940. (author’s photo) Stolpersteine (stumbling stones). These 4x4-inch raised bronze plaques are placed on the sidewalk in front of the last residence of Jews taken by the nazis and murdered. Their purpose is to commemorate the Holocaust victims. These honor the memory of my grandparents and grandaunt and granduncle. (author’s photo) ...