“Ob die Möwen manchmal an mich denken?” is the title of the exhibition on anti-Semitism at seaside resorts, which will be on view in the foyer of the Central University Library starting May 8. The exhibition is based on the book of the same name by author and curator Kristine von Soden and explores the expulsion of Jewish vacationers from the Baltic Sea coast in the early 20th century.
On May 8 at 2 p.m., Ms. von Soden will open the exhibition with a reading from her book, followed by a guided tour. After a welcome by the director of the University Library, Christian Winterhalter, and opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Stefan Beyerle, the University of Greifswald’s Anti-Semitism Commissioner, the event will offer all guests the opportunity to discuss the topic and visit the exhibition.
With the rise of seaside resorts in the Wilhelmine Empire, “resort anti-Semitism” also came to the fore. “Judenrein!” was the slogan on the Baltic Sea long before the Nazi state had become a reality.
As early as 1900, Jewish newspapers published “seaside resort lists” to warn against resorts where Jewish visitors were “unwelcome.” Conversely, places like Heringsdorf, where a liberal atmosphere initially prevailed, were considered “Jewish resorts.”
In addition to historical documents, the exhibition features selected excerpts from letters and diaries, including those by Else Lasker-Schüler, Victor Klemperer, and Mascha Kaléko. In this way, it illustrates both sides of everyday beach life: the natural beauty and relaxation of the Baltic Sea, and the growing threat of anti-Semitism. This creates a multifaceted picture of everyday beach life during that period up to 1937, when virtually all resorts and beaches were off-limits to Jewish bathers.
The exhibition was created in collaboration between Dr. Kristine von Soden and the Max Samuel House in Rostock. Through the Interreg project “In terris Gryphi,” the texts are now being presented for the first time in Polish and English, and the exhibition is funded by ERDF resources for the Pomerania program region. As part of the project, historical sources on the phenomenon of “resort anti-Semitism” were also digitized and made available via the Digital Library of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The exhibition can be visited during the opening hours of the Greifswald Central University Library: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 9:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Admission is free.