Note by RB: This speech was given by my father, Mr. Van D'Elden, in the German language, to a large group of German Jewish businessmen and other refugees in New York City. In it he undertook to describe the situation of the Jewish population of Germany, particularly in the city of Frankfurt a/M. The translation is mine.

You can imagine how terrified these people were to appear on the street during the first few days. However, comparatively little happened in downtown Frankfurt at that time. Most incidents happened in the East End (of Frankfurt).

From the beginning, the wearing of the Star of David was strictly monitored and God forbid a Jew was seen without wearing the Star. A concentration camp was the punishment. Also covering up with a briefcase or pocketbook was strictly forbidden.

Even before the Star of David regulation came into force Jews were not allowed to shop in most stores, with the exception of a few grocery stores. Visiting with or speaking to non-Jews was also forbidden. Not only was it dangerous for Jews to do this, but also for the so called Aryans. Immediate imprisonment was the consequence.

The Jews were not allowed to do any business, not even amongst themselves. Only a small portion of doctors and lawyers were permitted to continue their profession. These were no longer allowed to call themselves physicians or lawyers, but, instead were called Jewish legal workers and Jewish health workers.

Most of the Jews were herded into so-called Jewish homes, where they were allowed to inhabit, at the most, two rooms if there were children. When I left Germany no ghetto existed in Frankfurt and I have a feeling that none is planned for Frankfurt. The Jewish homes are distributed all over the city and a Star of David has to be displayed at each entrance door.

The Jews were not allowed to buy newspapers. Their radios and typewriters had been confiscated a long time ago. They were not allowed to use the trains or leave the city without permission. Even in case of terminal illness permission was seldom given to family members to visit.

At first Jews were allowed to use the streetcars, but were only allowed to stand in front of the second car. Later they were no longer allowed to use the streetcars. One of my Jewish friends had the following experience:

He stood near the door in front of the second car and
got off at one of the main stations in the inner city.
A young German policeman who stood in the same area grabbed
him by the collar, shouted at him: "You so and so don't you
know that the Aryans must get out of the car first?" Then
he dragged him to the Gestapo. There he was beaten and had
to bow down 100 times. Then he was literally kicked out of
the building with the admonition: "Now you know how to
behave yourself!"

No Jews were allowed outside their homes after 9 pm in the summer and after 8 pm in the winter. They were not even allowed to visit another apartment in the same building.

The Jews had not been allowed to have telephones for a long time and later were not even allowed to use public telephones. In case of sudden serious illness this had dire consequences.

Even before the Star of David had to be worn, men, women and children over 14 years of age were forced to do the lowest form of manual labor, such as cleaning the streets, shoveling snow, cleaning out the forests, sorting of trash, work in brick factories. Some, who were more skilled, were put to work in (here my Dad mentions some large German companies) where they were paid the lowest salaries and got no time off.

It was interesting to note that the head of the Gestapo used only Jewish workers to renovate his villa. His garden was taken care of by Polish prisoners of war under the supervision of a Jewish gardener. I was unable to find out whether these people got paid for their work, and if so, how much.

In October 1941, soon after the Jews of Baden and the Pfalz had been transported to the South of France, rumors spread in Frankfurt that a transport of German Jews to Poland was planned.

These poor people were in a panic and constant fear. In the middle of September already, the word was that lists had been prepared by the Gestapo with names of the people who had been selected to be on the first transport. This was confirmed to me by Jewish friends, who somehow knew this. Weeks passed by and the Jewish citizens of Frankfurt lived in deadly fear.

Then came the middle of October. I did not keep notes, so I cannot tell you the exact date. My wife, my daughter and I were invited for dinner at the apartment of a famous Jewish Pianist. One of the most prominent former officers of the Jewish congregation was also a guest with his family. The topic was the threatened deportation. The other guest told us that he believed that, on the following morning, the Nazis planned to search the Jewish homes to make sure they did not have too much food. He asked me if we would store 10 lbs of potatoes for him, which we did.

When I got up at 7 am the next morning and looked out of my window I saw many SS, SA, Gestapo and police assembled in front of a number of homes on our street and the street adjacent to ours. This told me enough. The action had started. Without giving the people who were selected for the transport even 24 hours, they were awakened in the early hours of the morning and told they had three hours to vacate their apartments. They were allowed to take only what they could carry in their two hands. In addition, each person was allowed to bring 100 German Marks. When they arrived at the Main Market, which was the assembly point, 60 German Marks was charged for transportation. The evacuation was masterminded by the Gestapo, SS and SA. Those poor people, who were evacuated by the Gestapo and the SS, as I observed myself, were treated the worst, while some of the few SA involved still showed some human feelings. With very few exceptions the people were forced to walk the long distance, approximately 5 miles, to the Main Market Hall of Frankfurt. The purpose, of course, was to expose them to the mob lined up along the streets. Many, who could not carry their heavy suitcases the long distance to the market, lost most of their possessions along the way. From my apartment I observed Gestapo taking away the luggage of old people, who had temporarily set down their suitcases, and throwing it to the Hitler youths, who accompanied the transport with much yelling. They then disappeared with their booty.

The herding through the town to the assembly place was a picture of misery. It was a heart rendering view for anyone who had a spark of humanity left in him: these poor people, emaciated faces, questioning sad eyes who for a long time could not shed any tears anymore. It was a picture of horror and desperation, the way these Jews slowly proceeded through the streets, in which they once walked proudly. Many a merchant, doctor or lawyer, passed his former residence, where once his nameplate was displayed-- not too many years ago. He passed areas where he was once young and happy, where once stood houses of God. They dragged themselves along, broken in body and soul to face an unknown and uncertain destiny. They were going the way which so many of their ancestors had been forced to go, driven from their villages which had been dear and precious to them, which they clung to with their whole beings.

The 1400 people comprising the transport were put into the cellar of the Main Market over night, men and women together. If they wanted to sleep, they had to lie on the stone floor. However, there was not much chance to sleep, because during the night there was a body search, to make sure they did not have anything hidden, such as extra money. The search was done in a most inhumane way. Then everyone had to sign a paper that they were voluntarily immigrating to Poland, and that they were leaving all their possessions to the State.

The list of this first transport seems to have been completely arbitrary. The transport consisted of doctors, lawyers, the head of the Jewish hospital, nurses, artists, a blind organist, the head of the Jewish congregation, etc. In the early hours of the next morning these poor people were herded into third class compartments of the train. There were not enough seats for everyone. Some, who had been on the list, committed suicide and others were quickly substituted. Some people were transported although they had visas and some even had booked steamship tickets. An elderly lady I knew personally would have left Germany 48 hours later! But none of this made any difference to the Nazis.

One consolation is the dignity with which these poor people faced their fate. One did not hear any begging for mercy nor fits of crying. Women and men, as well as children, of whom there were many, acted like heros. Even Nazis, whom I know, expressed their admiration.

A few weeks after the transport had left Frankfurt, a few letters were received from Litzmannstadt, asking for money and food. At first it was possible to send some food, but then it was no longer allowed. One could still send money up to 10 German Marks.

The Jewish congregation in Frankfurt heard that a number of people succumbed to illness in Litzmannstadt. It was also told that the people were forced to work in the fields and the building of roads. The food situation is much worse than in Germany and what can be bought is very expensive. About 200,000 Jews are supposed to have lived in the ghetto of Litzmannstadt.

When I returned from the internment camp on February 8, 1942, the situation for the Jews in Frankfurt had worsened considerably. Their homes were constantly searched, to see if they had too much food or too much money. They had to make lists of all their possessions, down to their last handkerchief. They were not allowed to sell anything or give anything away. Everything belonged to the Nazi Regime. Any disobedience was punished severely.

Soon three more transports occurred. The people were notified two days ahead of time. They were allowed to take only one piece of hand luggage and 10 German Marks. They were now treated even worse in the Main Market Hall. The worst thing was that no one heard what happened to these transports. Neither the congregation nor the families ever heard anything again. The Nazis refused to give out any information. Then news came via soldiers who were stationed in Poland and came home on leave.

They reported that none of the people who were part of these three transports were alive anymore. All were forced to leave the trains in Poland, had to undress and were shot down by machine guns. You can imagine in what a state the remaining 6000 Jews who still lived in Frankfurt were.

When another 1400 Jews were told in May 10th to be ready for the next transport, 68 Jews preferred to take their own lives.

When I left Frankfurt on May 16, 1942 approximately 4200 Jews were left in Frankfurt. Most of the people over 65 were put into so-called Jewish Old Age Homes. Here they live 3 to 4 people in one room and don't get enough to eat. It is not surprising that many of them die. A few young people were left whose bosses found them indispensable. How long this will last, I cannot tell.

Shortly before my departure a bunch of Hitler youths desecrated the Jewish cemetery.

When you hear this and what my family and I witnessed, we can thank our God that we are allowed to live in the United States. We must do our best to assist in exterminating the satanic and sadistic Nazis once and for all.

I, myself, can relate some of my own experiences.

1. In August 1941 I had to move my office to my apartment, because the government employees in my office building were making my life very difficult. They insulted me, spied on me, listened behind my office door.

Note by RB: (My father didn't say this, but I remember him telling us that they even resorted to throwing garbage into his office mail box.) They followed orders from higher-ups, I am sure.

2. The people who lived on the first floor of our three family home were 150% Nazis. (I personally remember them speaking adoringly of Hitler, and watching movies they took of him!)

Before the Star of David order, they could not tell for sure whether the people visiting us were Jews or not. But afterwards it was different.

On a Sunday morning in October 1941, I received a summons in my mailbox, from the Gestapo to appear at their headquarters the following afternoon (Monday). I must admit I did not go to the headquarters with a light heart. Many who were ordered to go there were never heard from again.

The two young Gestapo officers, who were in charge of my case, read the indictment to me: Friendship with Jews. I told them who I was and that many Jews came to my office for information about the United States. "We know this" was their answer, "but this does not by any means give you the right to drink coffee and eat cake with them. You live in Germany and know our position." Then one of them left the room and returned after ten minutes. "I must tell you once again, you know our position and you have to follow our rules. We let you go this time"

Incredible as this seems, unfortunately there were a few Jews who were traitors to their people by spying on and denouncing others. (I remember one who came to our home and he would not meet my father's eyes). My only explanation for this behavior is that they must have done something which allowed the Gestapo to force them into this position.