Document
Dismissal letter from the Berlin transit authority
A letter written by the Berlin transit authority (Berliner Verkehrs Aktiengesellschaft) to Viktor Stern, informing him of his dismissal from his post with their agency as of September 20, 1933. This action was taken to comply with provisions of the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service.
On April 7, the German government issued the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service (Gesetz zur Wiederherstellung des Berufsbeamtentums), which excluded Jews and political opponents from all civil service positions.
Transcript
BVG (Berliner Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft)
Berliner Verkehrs Inc.
Berlin W 9, Leipziger Platz 14, Collect Call, Berliner Stadtbank [illegible] 2, Berlin W9
[illegible]
To:
Viktor Stern,
B.i. U/N HR
Berlin SW II
Stresemannstr. 3
Tel.: Collective Number
B2 Lützow 7771
Our reference:
Pers. Arb.
September 15th 1933
B./S.
With reference to § 3 of the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service of 7th April 1933 and the implementing ordinances and provisions issued for this purpose, we terminate your employment on September 30th 1933 with the proviso that you will leave our services at the end of the day of delivery of this letter.
Excluding a jurisdiction of a court an appeal against this decision is possible to the Oberpräsident of the province Brandenburg and in Berlin-Charlottenburg 5, Kaiserdamm 1.
The time limit of the appeal is two weeks after receiving this letter.
Berliner-Verkehrsaktiengesellschaft
Head of HR
(Signature)
Critical Thinking Questions
What can documents such as this one tell us about life in Berlin in the months following the Nazi rise to power?
Why are artifacts, documents, and photographs important historical evidence?
What questions does this letter raise for you?
Use the Museum's website and Collections to learn more about anti-Jewish legislation from 1933–1939.