[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.