And it looks to me that Hitler doesn’t make these laws by himself for the whole country, because the mayor of Munich, just like the one in Berlin, said that Jewish doctors cannot treat non-Jewish patients, and the Bavarian minister said that Jews cannot attend medical school. Now these guys are doing things that would be impossible in a democracy, but with a dictator in power in a dictatorship, and as long as Hitler agrees, his subordinates have free reign to do what they want.
It tells me that anti-Semitism is now blossoming out and is unencumbered by laws. I guess that could spell doom for guys like me in my early days as a physician, but so far nothing’s happened here in Berlin. Maybe it’s just a matter of time. It’s very uncomfortable having to work knowing all this. Either we’ll have to work in another city, or leave the country. I can’t imagine any other option.
Knowing Hitler’s hatred of Jews, I’m beginning to envision no future for Jews in Germany. Is he trying to get us all to get the hell out, or does he have worse in store for us. Anything is possible with this mad man!
Again, in April, another law stopped all Jews from being admitted to the bar. How do they practice? I guess that’s the idea. It looks like they can’t.
Now he came up with an idea about overcrowding in schools. Since they are too crowded, what should we do, thinks Hitler? The solution did not require a moment of thought. Keep Jews out! Dictatorships are simple, aren’t they? And if you are a naturalized Jewish citizen, you ain’t anymore, invokes Hitler. And as an afterthought, we might as well remove Jews from all editorial posts since they have no rights and we don’t want to hear from their subversive mouths.
That’s it, Al. I’m very afraid for Germany’s future, and it appears that the Jew’s future is bleak, but if you go out and watch a parade with Hitler in it, you can’t help but notice the adoration on the faces of the cheering crowds. God help us all.
All the best. Kiss your wife and daughter for me and tell me about Poland.
Sam
Dear Sam:
Thanks for the very informative update. I couldn’t agree with you more. I feel for Germany. One of the most important bit of news, and widely reported in all the Polish newspapers here was the Reichstag fire in Berlin on February 27. There was some debate about the fire’s origin, but none about how Hitler used it to his advantage on his road to dictatorship. Although Hitler blamed it on the Communists, most of what I read here seems to favor the theory that the Nazis did it. The fire, blamed on the Dutch Communist Marinus van der Lubbe led to his trial and execution by beheading. They sure know how to silence a guy, do they not? It’s hard to speak up when one separates one’s head from its body. Anyhow, Polish newspapers report two theories: the Communists did it, or the Nazis did it. Hitler used this in his effort to convince President Hindenburg that the Communists did it, hoping he would get absolute powers, and it worked. They arrested many Communists and Hitler won a bare majority. His dream was fulfilled, and now he could rule with an iron fist.
After reading your letter, I must confess some personal concern about his future plans, but I have the perspective of having lived in Germany. A British politician named Winston Churchill gave a speech that I read when I was in Great Britain that warns the world about the danger of Hitler rearming. My impression is that few are listening.
All the best and kiss your wife and daughter for me, too.
Al
A year later, 1934 December, another exchange of letters described the growing desperation…
Dear Al:
Hope all is well with you and your beautiful wife and daughter.
Hitler is in the second year of his effort to consolidate power. In my opinion, he is like a raving maniac who will not allow anyone to stand in his way. This guy can do two things at once. He recognizes that millions are unemployed, so he started by massive public works employing many and raising wages. He also had to cool down the leader of the S.A, Ernst Rohm, who was making noises like he wanted to control the military. This made the military very nervous, but that was easy for Hitler to solve according to the British newspapers; he had Rohm and other S.A. leaders assassinated. Now that’s what you call a quick fix.
President von Hindenburg died, but this was an expected event already planned for in a law put forth the day before his death. The law stated that upon his death that the office of president will be abolished, and his responsibilities and his power would revert to Hitler. This put the icing on the cake. Hitler became the absolute dictator of a totalitarian state and commander of the military to the extent that the loyalty oath became a loyalty oath to Adolph Hitler (leader and chancellor, or Fuehrer). When he sees an opportunity to consolidate his power, he doesn’t wait a second.
For instance, in May, he dissolved trade unions. He had his troops break into trade union offices all over the country, and gave the trade unionists a simple order: get the hell out! I don’t think they were given a choice. Now the unions are kaput and replaced by the Nazi Party with a new Nazi director. How’s that for efficiency? But there are other political organizations out there. No problem. Let’s ban them, take their money, destroy their newspapers and declare them all illegal, except the Nazis, of course. Now is the time to have a new election. Guess who wins by a huge majority. Are they efficient, or what!
Kiss your wife and daughter for me. One of these days I hope we will meet so that we will see if your wife remembers me from your wedding. Probably not, since she had such stars in her eyes looking at you. And your daughter will finally learn who this foreigner is who keeps writing you letters.
All the best,
Sam
Al replied.
Dear Sam:
Thanks for your usual updates about conditions in Germany. Between you and the local Polish newspapers, I am very diligent about following conditions in Europe. So, I’m sure you will be interested about a development here which is worrying me. I had a short assignment in London and I read in their newspapers that they may have birthed their own mini-Hitler, God forbid. Anyhow, this guy, Oswald Mosley, used to be a conservative member of parliament, but over time he evolved into a fascist and formed a new party after he visited Mussolini whose philosophy he embraced. So now Great Britain has their own fascist, and they write about other similar examples that could represent a rise of fascism in the world. I can only hope that‘s nipped in the bud. More Hitler’s would be too much for this world. I came to this thinking when I recently read a very perceptive article which made me think negatively. I’ll summarize it for you.
The world is in what one writer wrote as a rock bottom depression. He blames this for what he says is a negative trend in the evolution of dictatorships: Germany with Hitler, Russia with Stalin who formed a Communist dictatorship by getting rid of his enemies, if you know what I mean. Getulio Vargas, Brazil dictator, turning Brazil into a fascist state, Japan flexing its muscles and thumbing its nose at the world and the Versailles Treaty by stating it will not honor its naval agreements to limit tonnage. His conclusion: world-wide conditions are heading in the direction of trouble. There is pessimism all over. He predicts another world war. Let’s pray he’s wrong; the last one was bad enough. We know that one first hand, don’t we? Can you imagine the next?
Then I read on one of the back pages of a newspaper that the Nazis have developed a “Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring.” That one got me thinking How the hell do you know if a baby in the uterus is genetically inferior before it is born? Or does this have to do with not allowing people with genetic diseases to ever get pregnant? I have no clue, but has he gone from being a dictator to being the Deity? You’re the doctor. Clue