Berlin Without Jews

In the events of the book, a right-wing nationalist political party takes power and expels German Jews.

Unsurprisingly, the Jewish leadership rejects such a proposal; this confirms pre-existing prejudices of the German Jews as somehow not loyal to their country.

Backed by this, the nationalists win the election while riots occur throughout the country, with 200 homes looted and 160 Jews killed.

Some 97 prominent Jews older than 65 years - including Benno Oppenheim - refuse in a letter of protest to leave the country, and commit suicide, instead.

The propaganda department attempts to make the expulsion of the Jews tolerable and uses music, parades, colorful uniforms, movies, and revues as a distraction.

The (unnamed) chancellor is forced to admit the disastrous economic situation before the Reichstag; the opposition calls for a reversal of the policy.

Landsberger himself committed suicide in 1933, six months after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor following the 1933 elections, and the novel was largely forgotten until a new printing was made in 1998.