Hirsch family documents

The papers in this collection document aspects of the life of Jonni Hirsch a Jewish Mischling, from Kiel, Schleswig-Hollstein, and of certain members on the Jewish side of his family. The papers are evidence of the way in which the lives of Jews in a German city became ever more difficult as a consequence of growing antisemitism. This is demonstrated in subtle ways by, for example, the copies of Abraham Hirsch's 19th century war record c1935 (-/4); the letters from shops and cafes requesting Jonni Hirsch not to frequent them because the customers do not like it (-/5, -/7, -/15); and the permit to leave the concentration camp Sachsenhausen (-/8)- he was imprisoned on 12 November 1938, 2 days after Kristallnacht, and described as a Jew. A certificate issued by the chief of police, Kiel, 1 December 1938, describes Jonni Hirsch as Mischling I Grades, and therefore not Jewish according to German law (-/9).

There are a couple of oblique references to Hirsch family businesses. According to an anonymous, undated typescript note (-/14), an unidentified Hirsch family member owned a Saftladen (a kiosk selling juice ?), which was threatened with closure by 2 SS men in March 1933. A letter from the Kieler neueste Nachrichten (-/10) dated 12 December 1938 addressed to Firma Adolph Hirsch regrets (without qualification) that they can no longer display adverts for the firm. No mention is made of the nature or extent of the business.