Deutsches Reich Reisepass – German passport no. 194724 issued to a Jewish woman named Margit Sara Gottlieb (the name “Sara” was added, by Nazi order under the Nuremberg Laws, in all passports of Jewish women) – the wife of Sigmund Gottlieb (see previous item), who succeeded in escaping from Austria via a winding route and ultimately reaching the Land of Israel within a few months. Vienna, 28 September 1939.
Margit was born in Budapest, Hungary, on 3 July 1884. At the time of issuance in September 1939, she was residing in Vienna. It is noted that she was a housewife, and no children are listed in the passport. The passport was issued by the Vienna police – Der Polizeipräsident in Wien – bearing the eagle and swastika emblem. Mandatory transit authorizations are included. The ‘J’ stamp, appearing on the passport’s cover and on the page with Margit’s passport photo, marks her as Jewish according to Nazi regulations imposed on Jews starting in 1938.
The passport contains a series of stamps and visas, reflecting escape and emigration attempts through multiple countries: An exit visa from German-controlled territory, valid until 10 December 1939; an entry visa for Bolivia, bearing stamps from the Bolivian consulate in Berlin, approved by the consul and signed by a Viennese bank. A single-use transit visa through Slovakia; a visa issued by the Slovak consulate in Vienna, valid from 25 January 1940 to 27 January 1940. A stamp from the Paraguayan consulate in Vienna dated 16 July 1940 for travel to Asunción (the capital of Paraguay) – possibly indicating that she obtained more than one destination visa (both Bolivia and Paraguay), likely as part of an attempt to secure an emigration route through several countries. A border control stamp from Bratislava dated 28 July 1940 is also present. Finally, the passport contains an immigration visa to the Land of Israel (Mandatory Palestine), bearing a stamp from the British Mandate authorities: “Permitted to remain permanently in Palestine”, dated 21 August 1940 at the port of entry: Haifa Port, along with an additional stamp: “Rationing Office Jaffa” – indicating either proof of residency or registration for food ration coupons. Unlike her husband Sigmund (see previous item), Margit successfully reached the Land of Israel.
The passports of Margit and her husband were issued consecutively and bear sequential numbers: 194723 and 194724 (see previous item).
In March 1938, Austria was annexed to Germany (the “Anschluss”). Following the annexation, approximately 200,000 Jews were added to the Reich and were likewise subjected to the Nuremberg Laws. The German Office for Jewish Affairs, headed by Adolf Eichmann, was responsible for implementing the laws against the Jews and orchestrating their expulsion from Austria. Jews were stripped of their property and forced to emigrate beyond the borders of Germany—or even beyond the territories under German control—according to Nazi policy. The confiscated funds were used to finance their deportation, with the remainder transferred to the German treasury. In March 1938, the Germans ordered all holders of Austrian passports to have them stamped with the letter ‘J’, and decreed that the name “Sara” be added to the first name of every Jewish woman, and “Israel” to that of every Jewish man. The passport before us was stamped about six months after this regulation was enacted. The passport was issued after the Anschluss (the annexation of Austria in 1938), at a time when Austrian Jews were suffering from an extreme deterioration of their rights. The addition of the ‘J’ and the name “Sara” were part of the Nuremberg policy of marking Jews. During 1939–1940, there was an immense effort by Austrian Jews to escape Nazi rule, with many seeking refuge in Latin America, the Balkans, and the Land of Israel.
32 pages. Very good condition.
