Gallery

 

Hitler Youth rally on the Lange Markt, a few doors east of the Ferber House and the Madonna statue.

William Manchester, in his book, “The Arms of Krup; 1587-1968” says:
“In the wake of Kristallnacht, Hitler ordered Goering to call a meeti ng of Nazi leaders and settle the “Jewish question “ (Judenfrage) once and for all. A stenographic report of the conference survives:

Goering:            How many synagogues were actually burned?
Heydrich:          Altogether, there are 101 synagogues destroyed by fire, 76 synagogues demolished and 7,500 stores ruined in the Reich.
Goering:            What do you mean, “destroyed by fire” (durch Brand zerstort) ?
Heydrich:          Partly they are burned down (abgebrannt) and partly gutted (ausgebrannt).

“Goebbels spoke up, noting that ‘new, various possibilities exist to utilize the space where synagogues stood.’ Some cities wanted to erect new buildings, some wa!ted parks, some parking lots. The Jews must pay for it (Die Juden mussen das bezahien). However, some shrines had such thick walls that they could be leveled only by prolonged blasting, which would be a nuisance to Aryan neighbors. Perhaps these could be rebuilt as museums.”

The Danzig Syna9ogue was dismantled brick by brick (photo Page 15), and the foundation was leveled. When we were there in May of 1990, it was difficult to imagine how such a large building stood on such a small plot of ground. There is now only an overgrown garden and a monument, shaped like a tree trunk with an arm and hand pointing upward from the top of the trunk. The bronze memorial plaque was across a narrow alley and listed about 200 Jewish martyrs of Danzig.

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 69 - October - November - December - 1990, Page 18.