Racing under a Pseudonym

In 1985, at the early age of six, Alfred Salomon (1919–2013) became a member of the Westfalie cycling club. He came from a Jewish family and was an avid cyclist. His uncle Moritz Lindau had played a significant role in facilitating the construction of the cycling track in Bochum. Many local cycling clubs were welcomed in his parents' restaurant.

Alfred Salomon at the inauguration of the new synagogue in Bochum. He is standing at a lectern decorated with flowers and a microphone. He is wearing a black suit and a black kippah. — Alfred Salomon at the inauguration of the new synagogue in Bochum, 2007.

©Stadt Bochum, Bildarchiv

He entered bicycle races with friends – both on the road and the track. They received trophies and tubed tyres as prizes. Beginning in 1933, many clubs barred their Jewish members. However, Alfred Salomon's friends from his club stood by him. In order to take part in races, he registered under a pseudonym, but from 1935 onward this was no longer possible.

During the November pogrom of 1938, the trained butcher just barely managed to escape being arrested. He fled to Berlin, where he was taken in by friends and worked as a trained electrician. He was deported to Auschwitz with his wife in 1943. He was sent to the Auschwitz-Monowitz camp; his wife was murdered by the SS upon arrival. When the camp was cleared in January 1945, Alfred Salomon was deported to Buchenwald. From there, the SS sent him to the subcamp Langenstein-Zwieberge. After liberation, he returned to Bochum. He established a new life for himself and was again active in local cycling events.