Sign made of Tin from the clinic of Jewish doctor Dr. Oscar Israel Hirschberg in Nazi Berlin, stating he is authorized to treat Jews only. The sign is marked with a Star of David inside a yellow circle. Berlin, 1938.
Enamel-coated tin sign from the clinic of Dr. Oscar Israel Hirschberg - a Jewish physician in Berlin. It states:
Dr. Oscar Israel Hirschberg 9-10, 31/2 -51/2, Sonntags 10-11 Zur arztlichen Behandlung ausschlieblich von Juden berechtigt - "Dr. Oscar Israel Hirschberg, hours of operation, and "authorized to treat Jews only".
Dr. Oscar Hirschberg [1866-1946] studied medicine in Berlin, and began working as a general practitioner in Romburg, then part of the Prussian Posen province. In 1920 Romburg became part of Poland, and in 1921 Hirschberg decided to relocate his practice to Berlin. In October 1938 Oscar Hirschberg received a letter from the "Commissioner for Jewish Business Owners" with instructions for designing his office sign. He was required to add the name "Israel" and mark it with a Star of David "to avoid additional costs".
From 1933 it became increasingly difficult for Jews to make a living from medicine due to anti-Jewish boycotts, initiatives of professional organizations, and discriminatory regulations. The first decree in April 1933 prohibited Jewish doctors from working in public hospitals. The second decree in July 1933 prohibited Jewish doctors from treating non-Jewish patients. The third decree in November 1933 required all Jewish doctors to register with the government. In the 1930s the Nazis imposed ever more restrictions on Jewish doctors by frequently revoking their licenses.
In October 1938 the licenses of over 3,000 Jewish doctors practicing medicine in the German Reich expired. In fall 1938 only 709 doctors considered Jewish under the Reich Citizenship Law received special licenses to continue practicing, allowed to treat only Jewish patients, spouses and children, under constant threat of license revocation. Jewish doctors who received special permits were those who had non-Jewish spouses.
Oscar Hirschberg himself was married to a non-Jew, survived the Holocaust and continued practicing medicine in Berlin until his death in 1946.
See also about Oscar Israel Hirschberg at the Jewish Museum Berlin. And see also details about him at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.
Enamel-coated tin sign. 20x15 cm. rust marks on corners. Good condition.
