Greenstein, Harry. Conference on the Future of the Jews in Germany.

(HOLOCAUST)

Office of Adviser on Jewish Affairs

Heidelberg

1949

The founding of the German Federal Republic in May 1949 was the turning point that evoked negotiations concerning the future of the Jewish community in Germany. Harry Greenstein, the adviser on Jewish Affairs in the American Zone, convened this conference with two primary objectives: To bring together the representatives of the Jewish Communities and of the major local and international Jewish organizations in Germany; and second to lay the foundation for coordinating the work of all the interested parties and organizations concerned with the welfare of the Jews in Germany. Greenstein emphasized the need to concentrate on the practical issues rather than on complex ideological or moral questions regarding the future relations between Germans and Jews. Greenstein notes in his preface here: “The meeting represented the first comprehensive Jewish conference held in Germany in the last sixteen years.” The publication contains the minutes of the conference with all speeches and discussions, including fairly detailed descriptions of the state of various Jewish communities in Germany.