The John F. and Hertha Oppenheimer Collection at Our Library
Publications by the Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith and Other Writings
This photograph by Herbert Sonnenfeld shows Hans Oppenheimer (1903-1985) and two other fellow employees in the editing department of the C.V.-Zeitung, Emser Straße 42, 1936; Jewish Museum Berlin, purchase at the expense of the Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin. You can learn more about this photo in our online collections (in German)
One of the first major gifts to our library's precursor came from John F. and Hertha Oppenheimer. In 1982, the couple donated a collection of publications by the Central Association for German Citizens of Jewish Faith to the Jewish section of the Berlin Museum. In addition to other writings from the interwar period, the collection also contains numerous books published in the United States after 1945.
Where
W. M. Blumenthal Academy, Library
Fromet-und-Moses-Mendelssohn-Platz 1, 10969 Berlin
Postal address: Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin
The Central Association of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith
The Central Association of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith was founded in 1893 and had its main office at Lindenstrasse 13 from 1905 to 1930 in the immediate vicinity of the Collegienhaus, which now belongs to the Jewish Museum Berlin.
John F. Oppenheimer
John F. (Hans Friedrich) Oppenheimer worked as a sales manager and editor at the Central Verein-Zeitung (Central Association Newspaper) until it had to be dissolved in 1938 and Oppenheimer and his wife Hertha were able to emigrate to the USA via Holland. He is primarily known as a co-editor of the Philo-Lexikon (1935) and chief editor of the Lexikon des Judentums (1967).
Fighting Antisemitism
The Central Association attempted to fight anti-Semitism and strengthen the German-Jewish identity through both legal efforts and publicity campaigns. For example, its brochure from 1929 entitled "Our Measures to Combat Cemetery Desecrations in Germany" lists 71 desecrations of cemeteries and 24 of synagogues between 1923 and 1928. It also documents the petition presented in 1927 by the Central Association to all German state governments calling for prosecution for this ever more frequent offense and reports on German state authorities' reactions to the petition. Furthermore, the brochure contains a detailed report on the rally "Iniquity against German Culture" of 18 October 1928, organized by the Central Association with the national government's involvement.
Unsere Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung der Friedhofsschändungen in Deutschland. With a list of the desecrations upon synagogues. A confidential memorandum of the Centralvereins deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens, Berlin: Lichtwitz [printer] 1929; Jewish Museum Berlin
Unsere Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung der Friedhofsschändungen in Deutschland. With a list of the desecrations upon synagogues. A confidential memorandum of the Centralvereins deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens, Berlin: Lichtwitz [printer] 1929; Jewish Museum Berlin
References
- Bendt, Vera. "John F. und Hertha Oppenheimer-Stiftung." In: Berlinische Notizen (Notes from Berlin). Berlin: Verein der Freunde und Förderer des Berlin Museums, 1984, 11.
- Karin H. Grimme, "Der Centralverein deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens" (The Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith). In: Jüdisches Leben in Berlin. Die Lindenstraße - Ideen zur historischen Projektarbeit an Schulen (Jewish Life in Berlin: Lindenstrasse – Ideas for Historical Projects in Schools). Ludwigsfelde, Germany: Landesinstitut für Schule und Medien Berlin-Brandenburg, 2008, 53–63.
Veronika Bendt about the John F. and Hertha Oppenheimer Foundation
You can download this accompanying article (in German) by Vera Bendt as a PDF, courtesy of the author:
Download (PDF / 69.88 KB / in German / not accessible)John F. and Hertha Oppenheimer Collection Title List (in German)
Download (PDF / 8.41 MB / not accessible)
How can I conduct research using the museum’s archive, collections, and library?
Our Reading Room is open to the public. You can also research using our library’s holdings and some of our collection’s holdings online. To view additional holdings, please contact the responsible curators.
I would like to depict or borrow an object from your collections. Who should I contact?
Your contacts for photo permissions are Valeska Wolfgram and Birgit Maurer-Porat (T +49 (0)30 259 93 433, email: fotodoku@jmberlin.de). Loan requests must be made at least six months in advance. For questions regarding administrative processes, please contact Katrin Strube (T +49 (0)30 259 93 417, email: k.strube@jmberlin.de).
Special Collections: On Jewish Art and Culture (6)
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On Jewish Art and Culture
Some of our Library’s most important collections include the volumes printed by the Soncino Society of Friends of Jewish Books (founded in 1924), the publications of the Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith, and special collections on Jewish art and visual culture.
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The William L. Gross Collection
The 400-book collection includes Judaica, documents, and literature on Jewish art and culture
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The Ulrich von Kritter Collection
The collection comprises around sixty illustrated works of German-Jewish and Yiddish Literature (1920–1990)
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The Kurt Löb Collection
The collection includes signed and unsigned works by the book illustrator, exhibition catalogs, essays by and about him, and his dissertation
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The Soncino Society Collection
With eighty Society publications from 1924 to 1937, our collection – a bequest from Hermann Meyer – is complete
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The John F. and Hertha Oppenheimer Collection
Publications of the Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith, other writings from the interwar period, and books published in the US after 1945
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Collection Hebrew Printing in Berlin
The collection contains about 400 Hebrew and Yiddish titles from the eighteenth century to 1933
