70-something years married.
One aspect of the German resistance to Nazism was the creation of forged papers to help Jews evade capture. One remarkable figure in this story was Cioma Schonhaus:
His memoir is well worth reading, imho
I can’t remember the names, but there has been several such examples. I think there were two communities in Spain and maybe a couple in Portugal too.
When the most well known was discovered (by a Russian Jewish surveyor who stumbled on them, and to avoid confusion, yes, it was in Spain), if I’m not mistaken a little more than 100 years ago, they had been in hiding for 400 years. In fact, they didn’t consider themselves catholics. They pretended to be (attending mass and such) but considered themselves Jews, and followed whatever set of traditions had survived those centuries of isolation. IIRC, they weren’t even aware that there were other Jews (it was a rural village, even though there has been another such secret community in a city). Later, rabbis were sent to teach them “proper” Judaism, but even though some followed the lead, others strongly rejected this interference, wanting to stick to their heritage and specific traditions, regardless how much they had drifted apart.
I know there’s a wikipedia article about them (because that how I learned about it) but I couldn’t find it.
By the way, if a handful of communities survived in hiding for 400 years, one can assume that there were many others such communities early on, after the Reconquista. And that when the Inquisition was hunting “crypto-Jews”, they were after a reality, not a fiction.
I read of such examinations (though not happening in public streets) to sort out Jews. So, yes, it was a thing.
In the film at least, he asked to go to the town hall and get his papers, but it is destroyed by Allied bombers before he gets there.
The question is rather difficult to answer, as it depended so much on where you were- and factor into that in the earlier days the Jewish people believed they were going to Labour Camps rather than Concentration or Extermination Camps. Germany had a relatively small Jewish population relative to other countries and it depended a lot on the countries where you were as to how you were treated. Unfortunately, some countries were extremely harsh and were quite eager to denounce Jews and acquire what wealth they had- and also eager to assist in their murder without resort to Camps. The one country that stands out as doing the most to assist the Jewish citizens is Denmark (although it could be argued that they didn’t endure such harsh repression).
France used its own administration to round up Jews of non French citizenship, the UK is not blameless- however it is rather pointless trying to estimate who, where or when would get rounded up.
I’m not sure if it is the correct question you are asking as virtually everyone who was Jewish was known as a Jew and could not pretend otherwise. It would depend on the local population to try and hide them or spirit them away. Some localities were far more oppressive and others far more supportive. Some Jews were able to buy their way out.
It is also true that many people were killed for being accused of being Jewish- even if they weren’t- so denial was not a real safeguard.
Apologies for a rambling answer but it is a complex question. I would refer you to “Auschwitz” by Laurence Rees.
Maybe someone here can tell me the title of a movie I watched years ago and cannot remember. It was a Nazi war movie, about some American guys on a mission in Germany. I really enjoyed the movie but it’s getting mixed up in my head with some others like Where Eagles Dare. All I remember about the movie is that the main guys were about to kill this high-ranking Nazi SS officer at his home and he reveals to them that he is really a Jew and he’s just playing the part. He had a blond wig on. They all end up working together. That’s all I can come up with. Anyone know what it is? It’s got to be over 20 years old, maybe lots more.
It happened. Dunno how often or how common it was, but my grandma used to regale us with the tale of a Jewish friend of her late husband who, while coming home late from work one evening, was stopped by a couple of Fritzes (or was it bastards from the Milice ? I can’t remember, and Grandma died a couple years back so I can’t ask her) who demanded to see his Ausweis, then when that didn’t satisfy menacingly ordered him to drop trou on the spot.
Turns out that apparently when you’re really, *really *scared a rapidly shrivelling circumcised penis can pass for the factory setting’d article. They sent him on his way and he lived to tell the tale to my grandpa after the war.