Max Naumann (12 January 1875 – 18 May 1939) was the founder of ''Verband nationaldeutscher Juden'' (

League of National German Jews The Association of German National Jews (German: ''Verband nationaldeutscher Juden'') was a German Jewish organization during the Weimar Republic and the early years of Nazi Germany that eventually came out in support of Adolf Hitler. History, goal ...

), which called for the elimination of Jewish ethnic identity through Jewish

assimilation Assimilation may refer to: Culture *Cultural assimilation, the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs **Language shift, also known as language assimilation, the progre ...

. The league was outlawed by the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

on 18 November 1935. Naumann was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the Bavarian Army during World War I and a Berlin lawyer.

Early life

Naumann was born to an assimilated Eastern European Jewish family. He attended the '' Friedrichs-Werdersches Gymnasium'' in Berlin, and received a

law degree A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers. But while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not confer a license themselves. A legal license is gra ...

from the University of Berlin. He served as an infantry commander during World War I and was awarded the Iron Cross (First and Second Class).''Who's Who in Nazi Germany'' by Robert Solomon Wistrich ( Psychology Press, 2002), p. 177

Political action

Standing in opposition to Zionist groups and Jewish organizations such as the ''

Centralverein deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens The Centralverein deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens (also: Zentral-Verein, Central Verein, CV, C.V., C.-V.) (Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith) was founded by German Jewish intellectuals on 26 March 1893 in Berlin, w ...

'' (Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith), Naumann advocated total assimilation as an answer to

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

. During the Weimar Republic Naumann was active with the German People's Party. He was quoted in Michael Brenner's book ''The Renaissance of Jewish Culture in Weimar Germany'' as saying "The election campaign must not be a struggle of religious conceptions, it must be a decisive struggle about our Germanness!" in reference to the 1933 election that followed Hitler's rise to power. Along with

Julius Brodnitz The gens Julia (''gēns Iūlia'', ) was one of the most prominent patrician families in ancient Rome. Members of the gens attained the highest dignities of the state in the earliest times of the Republic. The first of the family to obtain the ...

, Heinrich Stahl,

Kurt Blumenfeld Kurt Blumenfeld (May 29, 1884 – May 21, 1963) was a German-born Zionist from Marggrabowa, East Prussia. He was the secretary general of the World Zionist Organization from 1911 to 1914. He died in Jerusalem. He had served as secretary of ...

and

Martin Rosenblüth Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

, Naumann was one of the Jewish activists who were summoned to a meeting with Hermann Göring on 25 March 1933. Göring tried to enlist their help in preventing a rally against Nazi antisemitism which was planned in New York City for 27 March (see Mass meetings of the Anti-Nazi boycott of 1933). Göring claimed that Jews in Germany were spreading lies about Jews being attacked by Nazi forces. Naumann responded to Göring by producing a list of abuses, even producing a newspaper clipping showing Nazis forcing Jews to scrub streets with brushes. Naumann was among the Jewish leaders who said there was nothing that they could do to stop the protest in foreign countries. Edwin Black, ''The Transfer Agreement: The Dramatic Story of the Pact Between the Third Reich and Jewish Palestine'' (Dialog Press, 2009; ), pg. 31 Naumann's group was dissolved by the Gestapo in 1935. Naumann was incarcerated at ''

Columbia Haus Columbia concentration camp (also known as Columbia-Haus) was a Nazi concentration camp situated in the Tempelhof area of Berlin. It was one of the first such institutions established by the regime. Development Originally called ''Strafgefängni ...

'' and released after a few weeks. He died of cancer on 18 May 1939.

References

External links

Entry on Naumann
at the Simon Wiesenthal Center website {{DEFAULTSORT:Naumann, Max 1875 births 1939 deaths Deaths from cancer in Germany Date of death missing Politicians from Berlin German Jewish military personnel of World War I 20th-century German lawyers German People's Party politicians Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Military personnel of Bavaria Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class German anti-Zionists Jewish anti-Zionism in Germany Anti-Zionist Jews Jewish collaborators with Nazi Germany