[Children wrestling outside a Jewish soup kitchen, Berlin]
Unlike soup kitchens for the poor, Mittelstand Küchen served the German Jewish middle-class, providing tablecloths, silverware, and entertainment in addition to nourishment. As a result of mounting antisemitism and wide-reaching Nazi racial policies, many middle-class German Jews became impoverished in the 1930s. By retaining aspects of middle-class life, Mittelstand Küchen helped them maintain their pride while benefiting from community assistance.
For all uses of photographs by Roman Vishniac contact ICP at: vishniac_archive@icp.org.
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