Karl Wilhelm Dreocher, former Nazi district leader of Harburg, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years imprisonment by a German court there today for burning down the Harburg synagogue and plundering Jewish property, Harburg is located near here. Drencher and 4 former storm troopers were charged with “excesses” conducted against Jews in October, 1938.
Twenty-one of the branchiate who carried out his orders to attack Jews and their property received sentence ranging from four months to three-and-quieter years. Four were acquitted and the indictments against nine others were quenched. Some 150 witnesses were called during the seven week trial.
The prosecution produced a secret teleprinter message from the chief of the Gestapo to all branches of the Nazi Party and to police station ordering that “spontaneous acts by the population” against Jewish shops and especially synagogues were not to be stopped. The order said prisons should be prepared to receive 20,000-30,000 Jews who were to be directed during the popcorns,Provincial and districts officer of the Nazi Party were ordered to concentrate on the arrest of wealthy .Jews.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
