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USE OF "SONDERBEHANDLUNG" IN HINDENBURG LETTER

An interesting use of the word "Sonderbehandlung" occurs in a letter written by President von Hindenburg to Reichschancellor Hitler on 7 April 1933 protesting against measures taken to deprive Jewish civil servants of their offices. The letter reads in part,

 

"Nach meinem Empfinden müssen Beamte, Richter, Lehrer und Rechtsanwälte, die kriegsbeschädigt oder Frontsoldaten oder Söhne von Kriegsgefallenen sind oder selbst Söhne im Felde verloren haben  -- soweit sie in ihrer Person keinen Grund zu einer Sonderbehandlung geben --  im Dienste belassen werden. Wenn sie wert waren, für Deutschland zu kämpfen und zu bluten, sollen sie auch als würdig angesehen werden, dem Vaterlande in ihren Berufe weiter zu dienen."

 

Translation: "In my opinion, officials, judges, teachers, and lawyers, who were wounded or were soldiers on the front or who are the sons of men killed in the war or who themselves lost sons in the field -- insofar as they give rise to no special treatment in their person -- should be left in their offices. If they were valuable enough to fight and shed their blood for Germany, they should be considered worthy of continuing to serve the Fatherland in their professions."

 

Source: VERHEIMLICHTE DOKUMENTE, edited by Erich Kern, p.140, available from the FZ- Verlag,  GmbH, Paosostrasse 2, 8000 Munich 60.

 

 

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