Eduard Bernstein (1850–1932)—one of the most important figures in the history of the German socialist movement—was spared the experience of living under Nazi rule. A leading socialist theoretician and an associate of Friedrich Engels, August Bebel and Rosa Luxemburg, Bernstein died in December 1932, six weeks before Adolf Hitler was appointed Reich chancellor. He was almost eighty-three at the time. Benno Chajes, the widower of Bernstein’s deceased stepdaughter, was responsible for cleaning out Bernstein’s apartment and executing his will. Chajes was requested to inform the Schöneberg District Court of the estate’s value—a routine task. As his letter makes clear, it was not worth very much—only around 4,000 reichsmarks.

A few months later, Eduard Bernstein’s works were among those destroyed in the book burnings throughout the country and banned from publication.

Aubrey Pomerance

Professor Chajes, Berlin-Zehlendorf
Spandauerstr. 91

29.IV.-569.08.16

District Court

Berlin-Schöneberg
Grunewaldstrasse 66/67

With respect to Eduard Bernstein’s estate, I would like to report the following assets:

1. Financial assets:
a. Securities, based on prices from 21 February 1933: 4,048 reichsmarks.
b. Remaining mortgage on the property in Werder an der Havel: 2,000 reichsmarks.
The revalued mortgage on the property at Bozenerstr. 18 (sixth position) will not be taken into consideration at the foreclosure auction on the 22nd of this month.

Total amount: 6,048

2. Tangible assets:
The old furnishings were not salable and have been donated to charitable organizations. The library was already sold during the lifetime of the deceased for lifelong installment payments.

3. Estate liabilities:
As far as can be judged, the costs for funeral expenses, cleaning out the apartment, rental payments for the current lease, etc., amount to around 2,000–2,200 reichsmarks.

Based on these calculations, the estate is currently worth about
3,800–4,000 reichsmarks.

(signature)
as executor