Creglingen Jewish Museum
  

Talk at Dedication of
Creglingen Jewish Museum
Arthur S. Obermayer

I am pleased to be here to celebrate this milestone in the creation of the Creglingen Jewish Museum. My ancestors nine, ten and eleven generations ago, lived where the Museum is located at Badgasse 3 during the 17^th century. I feel privileged to be here to help bridge the chasm that connects the past to the future.

It has been less than two years since I received the email from Claudia Heuwinkel linking my ancestors to this spot. For most of my life, I have wanted to trace my ancestors back as far as possible, learn where they came from and what they did. After all, I would not be here if they had not existed. My grandfather came from Creglingen, and my grandmother came from Archshofen toward the end of the 19^th century. They married after they came to the U.S. As a child, my mother spent a number of happy summers in Creglingen visiting relatives. I still have the old postcards she received in the early 1900s, and especially treasure the view of Hauptstrasse with the shop of A. Sinsheimer identified in big letters. Through Claudia Heuwinkel’s historical research, I have been able to identify the specific houses where my ancestors lived and what they did. I have a map of Creglingen with each of the houses identified. The stories of their lives are intertwined with the entire community. Some of the stories are very nice and quite positive, and some I wouldn’t repeat if it weren’t for the fact that they occurred centuries ago, but they all make up the fabric of life here. Some of my ancestors were the presidents of the Jewish community. One set up a foundation to help the poor, but another relative of mine was locked up by her parents in the loft of this house because the records from the 1700s showed that she suffered from "malice and nymphomania". One of my great great grandfathers had an illegitimate son in 1823, whose descendants lived at this location. The personalization of this museum is what can set it apart from larger, big-city museums.

The challenge ahead is to make this into a meaningful memorial to the lives and contributions of Jews who were members of this community and to the continuing contributions of their descendants who live or have lived in other parts of the world.

Our goal from the beginning has been to focus on the Jewish experience here – where they lived, where they worked, how they participated in community activities, and what happened to them during the Third Reich. The Jews were people who led significant lives; we mourn their deaths, but their loss becomes more meaningful when we appreciate their lives. To understand the full impact of the exodus of Jews from Creglingen, the museum will also deal with the contributions and activities of their descendants in their new-found homes in other parts of the world. For example, at Badgasse 3 lived the ancestors of Ralph Blumenfeld. For 28 years (from 1904 to 1932) he was the editor of the London Daily Express, then the second-largest circulation English language newspaper in the world. It is clear what Creglingen lost when it lost its Jewish population. The museum will deal with the lives of individuals and their experiences. It will demonstrate the customs and ceremonies of Jews. It will provide resources related to the former Jews of Creglingen, and it will present educational programs and exhibits for students and adults from the entire region. It will deal with the Holocaust honestly, forthrightly and completely, but overall the museum will have a positive focus on life rather than a negative focus on death.

Hitler’s succeeded in killing six million Jews in the Holocaust. His "final solution" included plans to build museums to describe this extinct race of Jews. But Hitler’s greatest failure was that Jews today live and love, progress and grow, participate and contribute. Hitler could not make the world "juedenfrei". Our survival is our success. It is fitting that our traditional Hebrew toast is "L’Chaim – to life!".

Too many Germans still look at Jews as objects or victims, not as people. They are happier erecting memorial plaques and buildings than learning about and associating with individual Jews with human characteristics and emotions. The intention of the museum is to affirm the worth and dignity of Jews. Photos of dead Jews represent the end of life –not the wholeness and fullness of a living person. I feel very uncomfortable seeing the photograph of my great Uncle Rudolph with his shirt removed and his pants pulled down displaying the wounds he received on March 25, 1933. He would have considered this photo humiliating and mortifying. He was a proud man who accomplished a lot in his lifetime. He would be turning over in his grave if he knew the German coverage that his photograph was receiving today. For the Creglingen museum, a more meaningful photograph of my Uncle Rudolph would be of him wearing the iron cross medal he received for his service in the Kaiser’s army. In 1937, Uncle Rudolph came to the United States to attend my brother’s bar mitzvah, but he voluntarily returned to Germany because this was his homeland. He only escaped through Spain in 1941.

During the past year, I have discovered that almost every Jew I have encountered strongly supports the importance of emphasizing the lives and contributions of Jews rather than dwelling exclusively on how they were killed. Many of you have seen the very complementary letters from Dr. Prof. Jehuda Reinharz, President of Brandeis University, Dr. Prof. Ruth Gay, the world-renowned German Jewish scholar and Mr. Kenneth Bialkin, President of the American Jewish Historical Society. These eminent American Jews have a special interest in Germany, but they are typical of the American Jewish view. Since I have been in Germany, I have received similar comments of support from many German Jewish leaders.

At this point, I would like to say a little more about my German background.  All four of my grandparents were born in southern Germany, but my parents were born in the US.  Most of my relatives suffered tremendously during the Third Reich.  Previously I mentioned my Uncle Rudolph.  His wife Pepi died of a heart attack on March 25, 1933 as a result of the trauma.  My great aunt, Rosa Sinsheimer, was killed in a death camp in 1943.  At least five of the 16 Jews who were beaten on March 25 were relatives of mine, and a number of their descendants have made significant contributions to this museum.  Some of the largest Jewish contributors to the museum are here today, including Manfred Bloch, who is here today with his wife, Sonya.  He was born and grew up in Berlin, escaped to Palestine, fought against Rommel's forces with the British army in North Africa, and then fought in the Israeli War of Independence before coming to the US.  He felt that this vision for this museum was the right one, and contributed because he wanted to demonstrate his personal support.  

I feel that it is important for you to know that our families suffered in the Holocaust. However, it has been 55 years since the end of the Third Reich, and most Germans were born after that horrible time in your history. You did not choose your grandparents, and you should be judged on your own values and actions, and not on those of your ancestors. Indeed, there is a collective German responsibility to deal fairly and openly with its past, but there is no reason why younger Germans should have any feelings of guilt. There are some people in your country that thrive on making young Germans feel guilty for the sins of their ancestors. I feel that can lead to resentment and defiance.

One of the most appealing aspects of this museum is that it represents a joint project of Germans and Jews. So many individuals from the community and region have given generously of their time and their support. The city as well has been a major donor to this project and Mayor Holzwarth and other members of the board has devoted countless hours to its success. This symbolizes the kind of healing process that the museum is intended to foster.

What was not even an idea two years ago is now becoming a reality, and what started out as a genealogical venture is now turning into an important source of reconciliation between Germans and Jews.