Otto Goldstein
Otto Goldstein (born July 19, 1889 in Bad Kissingen , Lower Franconia ; † August 23, 1933 there ) was a German- Jewish merchant in the textile retail sector and a local politician .
Life
Otto Goldstein was the son of the royal Bavarian purveyor to the court Michael Goldstein , owner of a renowned fashion department store in Bad Kissingen, which he later took over.
On August 10, 1918 he converted from the Jewish to the Christian religion or to the Evangelical Lutheran denomination . He was a respected member of the spa town society, chairman of the commercial association, member of the board of the spa association and holder of many other honorary positions. Because of his services to the common good and his high reputation, he was elected in 1924 as a “neutral” member of the Kissingen city council. Later he assigned himself to the "civic block".
As early as September 1930, Goldstein had to defend himself in Bad Kissingen against the allegations of alleged sexual harassment published in the Nazi newspaper “Die Flamme” on September 4 and again on October 16. He had all allegations publicly refuted in the local Saale newspaper on October 27, 1930 by his lawyer, Counselor Buhlheller. He survived these denunciations , which were completely unfounded , and was even able to consolidate his reputation as a city councilor and financial expert in the city.
In October 1932 he was asked to analyze the deficit in the Bad Kissingen household as a result of the effects of the global economic crisis . This lecture, given on October 18 at a public meeting of the townspeople, was printed word for word two days later in the Bad Kissinger Saale-Zeitung under the title “The urban financial crisis - its cause and its effect” . Goldstein had previously been sent to Munich to negotiate budget with the Bavarian state government as an agent in his hometown.
The committed citizen and city council, a man with clear values and a pronounced sense of justice, was not up to the machinations of the National Socialists and their regime. As a result of the Nazis' seizure of power in January 1933, Goldstein lost his office as Bad Kissingen city councilor in April 1933. The committed local politician could not get over this disgrace, which is why he committed suicide on 23 August.
Just a few days before his suicide he wrote his poem "My last song" as a farewell.
- I once had a dear fatherland!
- Where I found my place German and true!
- The kingdom I serve, for the kingdom I fought!
- And when it broke down, I suffered bleeding!
- The storm wind came, a new spirit!
- I was lonely - outlawed - orphaned.
- No place for me in the new realm!
- Although I am German and loyal - the same as the others!
- I can no longer serve, I cannot argue!
- I can only be silent - cry - suffer!
- Like the others, as a German I am dead!
- And yet I love my fatherland, the colors black-white-red!
- So I want to walk - upright - proud and free!
- And all agony and misery is over!
- I love my country as I have ever loved it!
- Heaven help, that there will soon be bread and peace.
Honors
On June 19, 2009 the Cologne artist Gunter Demnig laid a “ stumbling stone ” in front of the entrance gate of the town hall of Bad Kissingen in memory of the former city councilor Otto Goldstein - the first “stumbling stone” in a series of “ Bad Kissinger stumbling stones ”. This first stumbling block was donated by all parliamentary groups in the current city council.
swell
- Hans Jürgen Beck, Rudolf Walter: Jewish life in Bad Kissingen. Bad Kissingen 1990.
- Thomas Reuss: Public and Propaganda. National Socialist Press in Lower Franconia. Bad Neustadt (Saale) 1988.
- Kissinger bath chronicle. In: The Flame of September 4, 1930.
- Public statement. In: Saale-Zeitung of October 27, 1930.
- Invitation to the “Great Public Citizens' Assembly”. In: Saale-Zeitung of October 15, 1932.
- Urban financial distress - its cause and its effect. In: Saale-Zeitung of October 20, 1932.
Web links
- Otto Goldstein . In: Biografisches-Gedenkbuch-BK.de
- Otto Goldstein . In: BadKissingen.de
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Goldstein, Otto |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German-Jewish businessman and local politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 19, 1889 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bad Kissingen , Lower Franconia |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 23, 1933 |
| Place of death | Bad Kissingen , Lower Franconia |