Page 177 - The Book Thief

most loyal customers were Jewish. Like many

of the Jews believed, he didnt think the
hatred could last, and it was a conscious
decision not to follow Hitler. On many
levels, it was a disastrous one.

Once the persecution began, his work slowly dried up. It wasnt too bad to begin
with, but soon enough, he was losing customers. Handfuls of quotes seemed to
vanish into the rising Nazi air.

He approached an old faithful named Herbert Bollingera man with a hemispheric
waistline who spoke Hochdeutsch (he was from Hamburg)when he saw him on
Munich Street. At first, the man looked down, past his girth, to the ground, but
when his eyes returned to the painter, the question clearly made him
uncomfortable. There was no reason for Hans to ask, but he did.

Whats going on, Herbert? Im losing customers quicker than I can count.

Bollinger didnt flinch anymore. Standing upright, he delivered the fact as a
question of his own. Well, Hans. Are you a member?

Of what?

But Hans Hubermann knew exactly what the man was talking about.

Come on, Hansi, Bollinger persisted. Dont make me spell it out.

The tall painter waved him away and walked on.

As the years passed by, the Jews were being terrorized at random throughout the
country, and in the spring of 1937, almost to his shame, Hans Hubermann finally

submitted. He made some inquiries and applied to join the Party.

After lodging his form at the Nazi headquarters on Munich Street, he witnessed
four men throw several bricks into a clothing store named Kleinmanns. It was
one of the few Jewish shops that were still in operation in Molching. Inside, a