The Stabsleiter of the Fuehrer's deputy, in Order No. 189/38 (not to be made public), makes the following announcement:
"In connection with the actions against the Jews arising from the public, valuable objects had to be safe-guarded here and there by the offices of the Party and its branches for the protection of German public property. I order that such objects be turned over at once to the nearest office of the Secret State Police, and receipts be given therefor."
"If, in connection with these actions, the offices of the Party and their branches should become aware or have been aware of thefts, which unfortunately may have occurred, it is to be reported at once to the nearest Police Station. The same is to be done upon the appearance of suspicious objects."
"The offices of the police are to be aided to the fullest extent in accomplishing their assignment."
Chief of the Fuehrungshauptamt:The following order reached me at 3 o'clock on 10 November 1938.
"On the order of the Gruppenfuehrer, all the Jewish synagogues within the 50th Brigade are to be blown up or set on fire immediately."
"Neighboring houses occupied by Aryans are not to be damaged. The action is to be carried out in civilian clothes. Rioting and plundering are to be prevented. Report of execution of orders to reach Brigade Fuehrer or office by 8:30."
I immediately alerted the Standartenfuehrer and gave them the most exact instructions; the execution of the order began at once.
I hereby report that the following were destroyed in the area of:
Standarte 115Brigadefuehrer Lucke reports at 9 o'clock on 10 November 1938: The Jewish church at Darmstadt, the Synagogue at Darmstadt, and the Synagogue at Eberstadt were destroyed by fire. The Synagogue in Darmstadt destroyed and burned out. The Synagogue in Eberstadt destroyed and burned out. The Synagogues in Griesheim, in Graefenhausen and Oberramstadt destroyed. The Synagogue in Bensheim destroyed by fire. The Synagogue in Lorsch near Bensheim destroyed by fire. The Synagogue in Heppenheim blown up. The Synagogues in Rimbach and Birkenau destroyed. The Prayer hall at Alsbach a.d.B. destroyed. Meeting-room in the Jewish cemetery in Haehnlein destroyed. The Synagogue and Church in Gross-Gerau destroyed by Fire. The Synagogue in Ruesselsheim wrecked. In addition, the Synagogue and wooden church in Dornheim were demolished. In Offenbach the big Church and the Synagogue were destroyed by fire. Synagogues that may still exist will also be found and destroyed.
Mannheim, 10 Nov 1938 /s/ LOHMANNTelephone call from Brigade 151, Saarbruecken, by Sturmhauptfuehrer Rossel.
Sturmhauptfuehrer Rossel reports at 9.15 on the morning of 10 November 1938. Tonight the Synagogue in Saarbruecken was set on fire, and the Synagogues in Dillingen, Merzig, Saarlautern, Saarwillingen and Broddorf were also destroyed. Jews were taken into protective custody. The fire departments are occupied with extinguishing the fires. In the area of Standarte 174 all Synagogues were destroyed.
MANNHEIM, 10 November 1938Telephone call from the Fuehrer of Standarte 250, Bruchsal, Standartenfuehrer Ritter von Eberlein.
Standartenfuehrer Ritter von Eberlein reports at 9.00 on the morning of 10 November 1938. In the early morning of 10 November 1938, between the hours of 4.30 and 6.00 o'clock, the Synagogue at Bruchsal burned down to the foundations. The crowd broke all shopwindows of the Jewish stores in the city; the alerted SA put guards before the Jewish stores to prevent plundering. The Rabbi and several prominent Jews had to be taken into protective custody for their own safety. This was done by the Gestapo. The Synagogue at Philippsburg also burned down at the same time. The infamous Rabbi Neuburger, who is known because of his foreign connections was taken into protective custody by instigation of the SA. During the night the Synagogues at Wiesloch, Walldorf and Malsch were also destroyed. The male Jews had to be taken into protective custody for their personal safety. In the area of Sturmbann III/250 the Synagogues at Sinsheim, Neidenstein, Neckar-Bischofsheim, Hoffenheim, Wollenberg and Ittlingen were also destroyed.
MANNHEIM, 10 November 1938Note for Files
Standarte 17 reports by telephone call from Sturmbannfuehrer Then at 10.13 o'clock in the morning of 10 November 1938: The Synagogues at Ludwigshafen and Frankenthal were burned down completely this morning between 7 and 8 o'clock. Several Jewish stores were demolished.
MANNHEIM, 10 November 1938|
Source: Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression Volume IV Office of the United States Chief Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality Washington, DC : United States Government Printing Office, 1946 |