'Twas Ever Thus...

In the last 'Twas Ever Thus we looked at banned names in France in the 1880s. This time we move forward to 1938 in Germany, where the dictation of names takes a decidely more sinister turn. A powerful argument against the banning of names. 

 

NAMES FOR JEWISH CHILDREN                   GERMAN OFFICIAL LIST                          FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT                                                    BERLIN, Aug 23     In order that there shall be no confusion in the application of the new law under which Jewish children must in future be given only Jewish personal names, the authorities today issued to all registrars a circular in which names "regarded by the German people as typically Jewish" are set forth. Henceforward Jewish parents will be obliged to choose names for their offspring from this list, which at least has the merit of offering plenty of choice.     The conscientious official, whose task it was to select "typically Jewish names," has done his task thoroughly, and the Old Testament has been combed for material. Jewish boys are given 185 names from which a choice may be made, though the girls fare worse with a mere 91. Besides such common names as Abel, Gideon, Isaac and Saul, "non-Aryan" boys may legally recieve more fantastic appellations, of which Awrum, Chananja, Itzig, Orew, and Schoachana ae a few examples. Their sisters, if their parents so desire, may be named Bilba, Frommet, Jachewad, Riwki, Scheindel, or Zorthel, among othe equally "non-Aryan" names, apart from the more usual Abigail, Judith or Rachel.     In this way a Jewish child is now assured that it will be made conscious of its alien race from the moment that it begins to mix with other children, and the natural result of this law, as of other anti-Jewish measures, will be the creation, after a generation, of ghettoes, in which such Jews as have been unable to escape from the country will live in complete isolation from other inhabitants of Germany -- a consummation which is desired by those in power in this country.  The Times  Wednesday, Aug 24, 1938