Ghettos

We do not really see a ghetto on the novels, though we do see Clara Lehrs living in ghetto-like circumstances when she moves to Rexingen after she is forced to leave Stuttgart. She is visited in the story by fictional Hani and Frau Gödde and in real life she was visited by a certain Frau Fink who was the mother of Renate’s best friend. We do not know exactly what it was like there, but some descriptions of the more well-known ghettos and some descriptions of Rexingen give us some clues.    
    

Overpopulation and lack of food in the ghettos caused disease and malnutrition leading to premature death. 

A good way of finding out what ghettos were like is to look at the many photos available.

Rexingen was almost a natural ghetto. Jews had lived there since the 16^th century. A large group of Jews managed to emigrate to Palestine in 1941. At the same time, almost all Jews were moved out of Rexingen.      

Food for thought: 

How would a “natural” ghetto be formed?

Can you think of any that you know of?

What impression do you get of ghetto life by looking at the pictures?

Often the Rexingen Jews are referred to as a community. What is the difference between a normal community and a ghetto?