Undoubtedly the primary question in our search for traces is: How was it possible for our Cadenberge neighbor, the Jewish Arthur Samuel, to survive the terror and brutality of the Nazi era? Without question, he was persecuted, but how did he and his wife survive?
A detailed report on the website project by Michael B. Berger, published in the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" on September 14, 2022
(Facsimile of the Article
(Faksimile des Artikels)
"Beneficiary" of a mixed marriage?
In a 1947 affidavit, Arthur himself wrote: "My wife and I were not molested during the Nazi era, apart from one case when I was insulted by a private individual in Geversdorf. Together with my wife, I continued to live in Cadenberge during the whole war. Apparently, I wasn't taken away because I live in a so-called mixed marriage. My wife is Aryan."
Arthur Samuel never commented any further on this, and we have not found any documents regarding persecution by the Gestapo.
The term “mixed marriage”, which was introduced in Germany in 1875 under civil law to denote marriages between people of dissimilar religious denominations, was redefined by the Nazis exclusively in racist terms; as a marriage between individuals of Jewish faith (considered a race) and those of the Nordic (German) descent, the so-called "Aryans".
Today we recognize that, although mixed marriages offered some degree of protection against deportation for spouses classified as "Jewish" in the early years of Nazi rule, this doctrine was no longer valid by the end of the war. In February/March 1945, thousands of Jewish spouses from mixed marriages were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Thanks to the impending end of the war, however, most of them were able to survive.
On the important question of whether Arthur Samuel was to have been deported, we were presented with a significant clue at the end of 2023.
Dr. Sabine Pamperrien, a journalist from Bremen, provided us with an excerpt of a letter from Berthold Simonsohn to Carl Katz dated 1965 after having come across our webpage about the Samuels while researching Carl Katz. As deputy head of the Hamburg-based district office of the Reich Association of Jews in Germany, Simonsohn was the immediate superior of Bremen community board member Carl Katz. Both were forcibly involved in the deportations process.
Although the letter does not provide all the details, it does verify that the names of Arthur Samuel and his wife Eugenie were on a deportation list in 1942 and that they were among the few people who successfully obtained a deferral from deportation.
Eugenie had certainly converted to the Jewish faith. She came from a Protestant family and had no Jewish ancestry. As a convert, however, she would have been classified as Jewish under Nazi regulations. Berthold Simonsohn and Carl Katz were apparently able to convince the Gestapo that the Samuels were living in a mixed marriage, thereby securing the deletion of their names from the list.
In 1944, when the partners of mixed marriages and individuals of mixed ancestry were also scheduled for deportation, the Samuels managed to escape this fate once more. We do not know whether further attempts to deport the Gestapo were made during this time.
Was Arthur Samuel concealed?
Against this background, it is of interest that oral accounts in Cadenberge occasionally referred to fellow citizens helping to temporarily hide Arthur Samuel in the Wingst, to evade the Gestapo from Stade or Bremerhaven during the spring of 1945.
However, at no point have we come across any definitive mention of concealment actions, by Arthur, by Eugenie or by anyone else involved; neither in declarations nor in official recognitions as "persecuted persons of the Nazi regime" or in the numerous justifications in claims for compensation.
In addition, the proposition of having hidden someone in the Wingst raises questions. How and where should this have happened, for example in the forest area of the Wingst, and who was involved? How were accommodation and provisioning arranged, particularly if the duration extended over several weeks?
Finally, on a special page of the Niederelbe-Zeitung commemorating the 40th anniversary of the "Kristallnacht pogrom" of November 9, 1978, we found a reference to the hiding operation.
The newspaper also refers to personal accounts and mentions that "Arthur Samuel from Cadenberge was protected and hidden by courageous farmers". This statement appears to closely align with the historical context of the time.
Arthur Samuel was employed as a worker in the Vagts sawmill in Höftgrube from March 1944 to May 1945, i.e. until the end of the war. During this period, he also lived in a room directly above the sawmill. It is likely that, with the assistance of Heinrich Vagts who was well-disposed towards Arthur Samuel, the secreted accommodation on the farms could have been provided by courageous farmers on the outskirts of Wingst.
Farms could offer many hiding places of concealment from the Gestapo and supplies could be maintained there for several weeks without any special effort.
We consider that the stories have a factual basis and that Arthur Samuel's hiding occurred as described or in a similar manner, despite the limited written records about it.
Answers to the following questions might be of interest: Was the trigger for concealment a precautionary measure due to Arthur and Eugenie Samuel’s prior appearance on the Bremen deportation list of 1942? Or did those involved become aware that the aforementioned nationwide deportation operation targeting Jewish spouses from mixed marriages would be implemented in the spring of 1945? Had there been any helpful tips from the Cadenberge municipal administration or even from the Nazi mayor Klein?
It would also be illuminating to know whether there was indeed a concrete attempt by the Gestapo to abduct anyone in Cadenberge. We believe that providing shelter was crucial for Arthur and Eugenie Samuel and a noteworthy sign of humanity on the part of committed citizens of Cadenberge.
It seems unlikely that this factor alone saved his life from the grasp of the Gestapo as there is a lack of definitive evidence to support such a claim.
What influence did Arthur's personality, behavior and contacts have?
Based on current understanding, it is reasonable to assert that the organized instruments of power and oppression of the NSDAP, SA and SS may not have struck with the same "perfection" and the same brutal aggressiveness in the rural district of Land Hadeln as in larger cities. Nevertheless, it must not be forgotten that Jewish citizens from the neighboring communities of Basbeck and Osten fell victim to the Nazi regime's enforcers
In any event, it is reasonable to assume that Arthur Samuel tried to minimize exposure to potential risks for himself and his wife during this period. His personality, intelligence and skillful behavior likely helped him deal with the pressure of the state power and its harrowing demands.
We think that Arthur realistically assessed the political development of the Nazi regime. He was also aware of the personal risks involved, which seemingly helped him to find ways to defuse problem situations again and again. In his previously referenced 1947 affidavit, he provides an example where he explains that he wore the Jewish star in compliance with legal requirements, but always kept it hidden under his jacket or coat.
It is quite conceivable that he was able to help avoid insults or violent attacks against himself and his wife through this "ploy".
Arthur Samuel actively engaged with many citizens continuously. It is known that he personally picked up the desperately needed food parcels from sympathetic Cadenberge residents. This also allowed him to leverage these occasions to obtain the emotional support from these compassionate people, clearly necessary for survival considering the couple's circumstances.
The Samuels were largely isolated from their family and relatives due to political developments. Therefore, no tangible assistance was to be anticipated from them. Nonetheless, it is likely that his upbringing in a family with a liberal Jewish tradition was of benefit to him. It was undoubtedly there that his empathetic nature, his ethical conduct and consistently optimistic outlook on the future were cultivated. All this will have encouraged him to keep going, to persevere through tough times and believe in a better future.
Coincidence, luck, skill, character, solidarity – in our assessment, several factors contributed to Arthur Samuel's survival.
The following factors likely contributed to the possibility of a Jewish townsman surviving in Cadenberge during the Nazi era:
The firm anchoring of the Samuels in the village community.
Arthur's empathetic character, his liberal Jewish upbringing and his firm belief in the future.
The extensive assistance and support campaigns conducted by Cadenberge citizens and the farmers in the area.
The marriage to the non-Jewish Eugenie.
His apparently continuing relationships with the Jewish community in Hamburg.
The end of Nazi rule accompanying the victory of the Allies.
In Cadenberge, far removed from momentous world events, a set of wondrous circumstances resulted in saving a couple from the systematic mass murder orchestrated by the Hitler regime. There is every reason to be happy about this and there are also many reasons to admire the home community of Dietmar and Rudi Zimmeck who initiated this search for traces of Arthur and Eugenie Samuel.
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