Not for dissemination, CAUTION.

11th November 1938

Your post has reached me, for which I would like to thank you particularly. How I came to get them is worth explaining in some detail. A certificate of poverty that would allow one to receive post duty-free does not exist for Jews. What to do? The RM 100.– only arrived here on 1st November and before that I could not go to the post office (customs office). There my wife, as an Aryan, had to plead and beg and the official had a heart.

But who wants to talk about that when one sees what has become of Vienna. Yesterday Jews were hunted down in all of Vienna's districts. I too was trapped and report: at 9 o’clock in the morning I went with some 80 prisoners to the police station (Prater, Ausstellungsstrasse), where some 1,000 poor victims had already been herded together in abandoned stables so that their bodies formed one solid mass. Everyone had to stand “hands raised” so as to make better use of the space. Every three to five minutes three or four people were ordered to go to the Nationale. The instruction was: three men from the far corner “over the heads!” Then the three or four men flew like rockets over the bowed heads to the opened door. I arrived at the Nationale c. 1 o’clock. Questions passed: “Are you homosexual, have you dealt with any scrapes, are you in a relationship with a person of German blood, etc.: which associations do you support?”, and since there was a wait of around two more hours in a mezzanine room, I was able to see what was taking place in the yard below. The Jews were being handled by people acting like mad animals: they had to roll around on the ground without their shoes touching the ground – blow after blow, because it is not easy. Then hopping, jumping, squats – always accompanied by blows, then the people had to spit on each other, slap each other round the face, and if they did not punch with full force the partners were given extra blows. Others had to stand against the wall and were then threatened with execution, but even better – they were beaten accompanied by the words “You Saujud”, “You Volksverräter” etc. Then people went into a hall where watches, rings, knives were taken from them – then on to a police doctor to decide if they were fit for prison or not. I went home because I was classed as not fit enough for prison. One question: how long can a human being – like a herring in a barrel – live without nutrition, must a person just “fade away”? I know that along with many, many hundreds of others I did not see a glass of water for ten hours, I am convinced that all of them had to endure a complete fast for 24 hours. That was still the police station. Homes were robbed and plundered. Homes were robbed of anything that was to hand. Money from RM. 1.– upwards, linen, radios, food were taken by people in uniform and without. Rings were taken off people's fingers, one saw all kinds of things. In the third Bezirk nothing was sold to Jews. For poor Jews there was no welfare support since the canteens had been completely destroyed. Until late at night everything possible was being dragged out of homes, a scandal for a people who says of itself “Above everything in the world”. True indeed in matters of cowardice and nastiness, hardness and barbarism, sadism, rapacity and beastliness – unparalleled in world history.

All Tempel totally destroyed, set on fire, blown up. Very sad to have to say that German is my mother tongue. The Jews do not take their children to school because everything is battered, large and small. What more can I say? That we were given notice to quit – insignificant when Jews are less than “animals”. There is no law that protects Jews. Whether somebody has 100 medals or none, a Jew remains a Jew. Jews are without rights before the law. I visited families whose men were captured like me – deepest desperation everywhere since nobody can bring themselves to believe that the men are going to return home any time soon. It makes for surprises. Yesterday thousands of homes were “officially barred.” The poor residents are supposed to go and sleep with families – but where? Instead of a firework the 9th November was officially declared not a day off school but rather as a day of robbery and plunder for the rapacious Volk. Starting at RM. 1.– everything possible was stolen. RM 4.– only – RM 4.- was stolen from an 80-year-old woman. Those who had determined that the day should be a day of robbery – as if in mockery, the watchmen are going through the streets today, 24 hours later that is, whilst the gangsters put their booty to use. That people do such a thorough job is hardly surprising given that the Germans are noted for their thoroughness. Everything that is said about Vienna is untrue. It is underestimated a hundredfold. There is no compassion, no mercy, it is a brutish Volk enraptured by the most intense sadism. How the people were insulted, is of no interest now (since it does not cause physical pain). Those who did not prostrate themselves immediately when confronted by the police were punched or hit – it was awful to see and then have to hear the cries of pain. How many are dying or have perished already – there is no information. I was there and my report only covers part of what happened.

From today the Kultusgemeinde has been occupied again – I mention that only in passing.

My child – despite being highly intelligent – is forced to wither away on account of not being able to go outside.

We have the home until the end of January and what may happen thereafter – nobody speaks of that. I have a definite feeling that we will never see each other again – never – and so I am happy that the longest journey...

Perhaps my wife will manage, as a more robust person, to move on in England where the child might also be able to get out.

It is really terrible to have to protect children before, during and after school. – Frightening, incomprehensible, for anyone.