Reichsvertretung der Deutschen Juden

  • Jewish council
Identifier
423
Type of Entity
Corporate Body

Dates of Existence

1933-09/1939-07-04

History

The Reichsvertretung der Deutschen Juden was a body representing German Jews vis-à-vis the German government. The Reichsvertretung der Deutschen Juden started as early as 1933-09, and was headed by Reform Rabbi Leo Baeck and the Chief Executive Officer Dr. Otto Hirsch. The Reichsvertretung centralized the political aspects of the Jewish community in Germany, trying to enter open debate and dignify controversy with the Nazi administration. Its constituent arms handled most aspects of Jewish life in the Reich – emigration, welfare-relief, education, vocational training, and cultural activities. Its advocates saw the Reichsvertretung doing its best to safeguard the German Jewish community’s physical and moral existence. Its critics, such as Robert Weltsch, lamented that the organization lulled German Jews with false hopes and did not allocate enough resources for emigration.

Places

  • Founded and active in Germany

Sources

  • Dictionary of the Holocaust : Biography, geography, and terminology / E.J. Epstein, P. Rosen. – Westport, 1997. – p. 251