home > history > 1940-1942: The isolation of the Jews

 

Verordnungen (Decrees)

As from 28th October 1942 the Nazis drew up a separate statute for Jews comprising of 17 discriminatory measures. Henceforth the Jews were excluded from public life.

To begin with Jews were obliged to register themselves in their local Judenregister. 56.000 complied. The Gestapo drew on this information  to prepare a filing card system with the names and addresses of all the Jews who registered. This was followed by a decree restricting the Jewish presence in certain social, economic and professional activities. Their ID cards were stamped with the word Juif or Jood (Jew). Jews were no longer allowed to visit public places such as swimming pools,  parks, theaters, cinemas etc. They were forbidden to use either 1st or 2nd class on the public transport system. Jewish children were no longer permitted to attend school.

Decree about the Judenregister in Brussels (© JMB-MJB)

The Jews who had registered was forced to join the  Jodenvereeniging in Belgie – JVB (Association of Jews in Belgium). This organisation was presented as a charitable organisation whose objective was to arrange for Jewish emigration. However the Jodenraad, as the JVB was known, was established solely to prepare for the forthcoming deportations.

Verordnungsblatt concerning the
Association of Jews in Belgium (© JMDR)

All the registered Jews were brought together in four large cities which the were forbidden to leave. Their possessions were registered and their businesses confiscated. From 27th May 1942 Jews were obliged to wear a yellow Magen David (Star of David). Within a few weeks the streets were full of citizens who were branded as Jews.

Girls with their stars, Keizerlei, June 1942
(© JMDR)

<Top>

 

The Antwerp Pogrom

On 14th April 1941 about 150 supporters of the Anti-Joodse Liga (Anti-Jewish League), who had been recruited by the Flemish SS and associated ultra nationalist movements, decided to begin a campaign of direct persecution. They organised a noisy disturbance hoping to create a great wave of  anti- Jewish feeling within the population in general, similar, in fact to the effect created during and after the Kristallnacht. After the showing of the anti-Semetic film De Eeuwige Jood (The Eternal Jew) the rioters went on the rampage resulting in the destruction of about 200 Jewish shops and the burning of two synagogues.The rest of the population was not drawn into this offensive against Jews and their property and the German administration were, anyway, not going to allow their authority to be undermined by a group of hooligans.

Crowd near the bridge on the Van den Nestlei watching the blaze (© JMDR)	A fireman can start to extinguish the fire when the situation calms down (© Gazet van Antwerpen)

 

<<-- Previous page - Next page -->>

<Top>