Discrimination against Jewish tenants began before 1939. Berlin housing associations stopped accommodating Jewish tenants as early as 1936.

From 1939 on, almost half the Jewish population was forced to move into allocated housing. Jews who had previously lived on the outskirts of Berlin were concentrated in inner-city lodgings.

The “Law on Tenancy with Jews” of April 30, 1939, provided the legal basis for forcing Jews to move into allocated housing.

At least 791 buildings in Berlin contained apartments where Jews were forcibly housed.

Although most of these buildings were in Jewish ownership, they did not have exclusively Jewish residents. The non-Jewish residents lived close enough to witness the plight and persecution of their Jewish neighbors.

Various players – from property managers to tax officers – were involved in ousting Jewish tenants from their homes and forcibly concentrating them in other buildings. This process was part of the “Germania” project directed by General Building Inspector Albert Speer.

Complete strangers were often forced to share accommodation. The duration of occupancies varied greatly, making life for Jewish tenants extremely unsettled and uncertain.