Der entsiedelte Jude : Albert Speers Wohnungsmarktpolitik für den Berliner Hauptstadtbau

Shows that the deterioration of the housing conditions of the Jews of Berlin and the concentration of the Jews in shelters as part of the planned grandiose reconstruction of the German capital was a stage in a process which culminated in their deportation in 1941-43. Albert Speer was appointed overseer of the Welthauptstadt Germania project launched in 1937, but only a small portion of it was realized. Speer's plans, which concerned half of Berlin and entailed massive demolitions, crashed already in 1938 due to a decline in the residential construction industry. In order to obtain alternative housing for residents whose homes were slated for demolition, Speer introduced racism into his housing policy. From September 1939 he carried out his plans at the expense of the Jews. In order to accomodate the evicted Jews, he created the "Judensiedlung" project and declared favored residential areas "Judenrein". Hundreds of Jewish housing units fell into his hands when Jews fled Germany following the "Kristallnacht" pogrom, but it was not enough. Without a legal basis and on his own initiative, Speer ordered home owners to notify authorities about Jewish tenants. The outbreak of war put an end to Jewish flight, and Speer crammed the illegally evicted Jews in "Jewish houses". When these houses were full, Speer pressured Hitler to start deportations by evicting more Jews and passing on lists of houses to be evacuated to local police headquarters, where preparations for deportations were then continued. The Berlin Gestapo forced the Jewish community to participate in the registration of all Jews and their wealth; at the end of the registration process, the Jews were given deportation numbers. Deportations began in October 1941 and, by the end of 1943, had affected 50,500 Berlin Jews. 1. Aufl. 480 pages : illustrations, facsimiles, plans ; 23 cm.