No Homesickness I

Auto-biography of Curt Joseph starting with his father who grew up in the 19th century telling him that there was a short period of antisemitism in Germany, when it was hard to find a job as a pharmaceutical chemist. Later on anti-Semitism was instigated by a rather small group of the educated classes and felt mainly in the civil service, army, navy and clubs of various types. He mentions two characteristic qualities of Jews that evolved while living in the diaspora: To be forced to work harder than Christians, and to show more understanding for the victims of persecution. Until he was 9 years of age he did not feel any different at school from other children. The older he got the more he felt excluded from activities and society because of his heritage. He tries to find reasons for antisemitism, e.g. jealousy of success. After returning from the First World War to Berlin he witnessed the Spartacus Uprising firsthand. He served in the Freecorps X and was sent to the German/Polish border in 1919 where he saved the life of a comrade when under fire. He recounts how slowly the general atmosphere towards Jews is changing in the late 20ies and early 30ies until the Nazi’s rise to power, and the beginning of persecutions. He describes how the Nazis used fear and terror on the German population as well by introducing new laws and concepts. (page 50) He also describes the restrictions and harassment he faced as a Jewish business owner.