”Emigration” - Escape and Expulsion
During the Nazi era people usually didn’t decide voluntarily to emigrate rather under pressure of circumstances. It would
take months, sometimes even years until it could be realized. There were so many bureaucratic demands to be met:
- First of all one had to find a host country, which became more and more difficult as time went by. Therefore one
couldn’t be picky. If you had to get yourself to safety, you had to take what was available, even though it might be the
most remote corner on earth.
- Besides, one was in urgent need of a declaration of guarantee by one or more long-time resident citizens of the host
country. This declaration was the so-called affidavit. With that it was to be ensured, that the emigrant was taken care of
and didn’t become a burden to the host country until he/she could earn one’s livelihood. Therefore it was especially
difficult for the elderly to be granted an affidavit.
- Furthermore one had to have all the documents ready. Questionnaires and declarations had to be filled out,
applications had to be submitted, various documents and certificates had to be obtained.
- If household contents and heavy luggage was supposed to be taken along, one had to submit an application for a
permit, and the contents had to be listed precisely. These lists had to be submitted to the customs investigation office
for examination and approval, as well as to the local police department, and the office handling foreign exchange
control regulations. As of early 1939 customs investigation levied a special charge on recent acquisitions, which could
be as high as the purchase price.This levy was called ”Dego-Abgabe”.
- Finally one had to buy tickets for train and ship.
Very often precious time went by, because the Nazis, who actually wanted the emigration, complicated it with ever
increasing bureaucratic obstacles and constantly raising additional charges like the ”national-esape-tax”, ”Dego -
Abgabe” (see above), ”capital levy”, and further special terms. Thus it became increasingly more difficult to finance an
escape, and for most of the potential refugees it was not possible without the aid of Jewish relief organizations. During
the course of the raging WWII the anyhow limited chances to escape to a safe country decreased drastically. The host
countries adhered strictly to a special immigration quota, and they, too, issued ever new rules or even closed the
borders. The persecuted Jews were trapped!
Many of those at home had hesitated too long, because they believed the nightmare was going to be over pretty soon;
deportation or even murder they didn’t deem possible at all. Besides, most of them had become destitute, and sponsors
abroad were lacking especially for the elderly. When it finally dawned on them that the worst had to be expected, it was
already too late. Those constantly restricted escape possibilities followed on August 23, 1941 the decree by the ”Main
Office of the Reich Security Bureau” which read as follows: ”Reich Fuehrer SS and the Chief of the German Police
gave orders, that effective immediately, the emigration of Jews has to be prevented.”
Subsequently on October 23, 1941 the official ban on emigration became effective. Already on October 19, 1941 the
systematic deportation of the German Jews got under way with the transport from Frankfurt a.M. to Lodz.