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Marianne Landau * 1909

Am Hünenstein 10 (Hamburg-Mitte, Hamm)

1942 Auschwitz aus NL
ermordet

Marianne Landau, born 25 May 1909, deported to Auschwitz in 1942

Am Hünenstein 10 (Hamburg-Mitte, Hamm)

Marianne Landau's parents were the "agent" Alfred Landau, born 16 Dec 1878 in Hamburg, and Henriette, née Nehemias, born 6 Aug 1875 in Frankfurt (see www.stolpersteine-hamburg.de). Alfred Landau had belonged to the Jewish Community in Hamburg since at least 1913.
On her father's side Marianne Landau came from a family of musicians.

Her grandfather Leopold, born on 21 June 1841 in Varranó (then Hungary, now Slovakia), was cantor at a synagogue in Prague before he began a career as an opera singer. He married Josephine Schlesinger, born 21 Oct 1835 in Littow and had four children with her. While still in Prague, Helena was born in 1869. After moving to Hamburg in 1872, his eldest son Felix was born, who later became Kapellmeister. During an engagement of Leopold Landau in Mainz, Katharina was born there in 1874. Back in Hamburg and after the acquisition of Hamburg citizenship in 1876, Alfred was born as the youngest. He was not yet of age when Leopold Landau suddenly died in 1894 during an opera rehearsal.

Helena, a plasterer by profession, and Felix Landau remained single, Katharina married Max Gottschalck, who had converted to Lutheranism, in 1902. Alfred Landau and Henriette Nehemias, who came from a Portuguese Jewish family, married in Hamburg in 1908. From her parents only Josephine Landau lived on. Felix Landau died in 1913 on the return journey from Antwerp to Hamburg. This meant that his brother Alfred took over the role of the son and he became the son's heir.

Marianne Landau was born on 25 May 1909 in Hamburg and after school had completed an apprenticeship as a commercial clerk and stenotypist. As such she earned enough in 1932 to be able to pay cult taxes to the Jewish community of Hamburg. She remained single.

When the National Socialist regime began in 1933, nothing changed for her externally at first. She continued to live at Am Hünenstein 10 and was able to work until 30 Sept 1935 when she lost her job. After that she moved several times. In October 1935 her grandmother Josephine Landau died.

Only after one year she found a job again. She earned 225 RM per month and so could emigrate at her own expense. Marianne Landau wanted to go to England or the USA to work as a maid. Her parents also wanted to emigrate. The Jewish community noted in their tax records that they went to England.

Marianne Landau had her papers together in September 1938 and received a passport. She was just waiting for customs to clear her removal goods. Since she had only a few used items, customs issued the export permit without checking. Instead of going to England or the USA, Marianne Landau emigrated to the Netherlands in February 1939. She flew to Rotterdam, and although she emigrated legally, she had to take a return ticket. Lufthansa reimbursed - after approval by the foreign exchange office - the equivalent value of the unused return ticket to an aunt of Marianne.

Marianne Landau's parents now moved from London to the Netherlands and also settled in Rotterdam, where they planned a new start, but with the occupation of the Netherlands by the German army, anti-Jewish measures also were implemented there in May 1940. Gradually, the Jewish population was concentrated in the interior of the country.

Marianne and her parents therefore moved together to Gouda. From there first she, then her parents, were interned in the Westerbork transit camp and from there deported to Auschwitz.

Marianne was murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau on 7 or 30 September 1942, Alfred and Henriette on 26 October. The exact dates of death are uncertain. The Dutch government started them on the third day after the transport left Westerbork.

Translator: Amy Lee/Changes: Beate Meyer
Kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg.

Stand: August 2020
© Hildegard Thevs

Quellen: 1; 2 FVg 5093; 4; 5; StaH, 332-5, Personenstandsregister; 522-1, Jüdische Gemeinden, 390 Wählerverzeichnis 1930; 391 Mitgliederliste 1935; https://www.musiklexikon.ac.at/ml/musik_L/Landau_Familie.xml.