Excerpt from a 1940 questionnaire - the
plain figures illustrate the drastic decline of
the once recognized and flourishing Joseph
Strauss company
From ”Kristallnacht” up to Deportationon
Ever since the Anti-Jewish Boykott of April 1933, and in particular after the
Nuremberg Laws of 1935 the earnings of businesses owned by Jews had receded
drastically, since nobody dared to shop there anymore. Every day the newspaper
cautioned: ”Don’t buy at Jews!” Effective January 1,1939 all stores and commercial
enterprises owned by Jews had to finally be liquidated. With the ”decree concerning
the use of all Jewish property” effective December 3, 1938 the legal basis for
”Aryanzation” - the outrageous robbery of Jewish property - was established. Thus the
Jews could be forced to sell their property at the lowest assessed value. The total
receipts had to be deposited into a blocked account, which was controlled by the
office for exchange control.
