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Dr. Gertrud Kohn * 1897

Mundsburger Damm 26 (Hamburg-Nord, Uhlenhorst)

1941 Lodz
ermordet

further stumbling stones in Mundsburger Damm 26:
Ida Kohn

Ida Kohn, née Grünhut, born 13 Oct. 1874, deported 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz, died there 20 Apr. 1942
Gertrud Kohn, born 28 Apr. 1897, deported 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz

Mundsburger Damm 26

Ida Kohn was born in Prague as the second-oldest daughter of the Jewish couple Simon and Johanna Grünhut, née Jetmar. Simon and Johanna Grünhut had four more daughters: Adele, Gisela, Selma and Alice.

Ida married the Austrian merchant Isidor Kohn. On 28 Apr. 1897, Gertrud, the only child they had together, was born in Jungbunzlau in Austria. Shortly after Gertrud’s birth, Isidor died. After that, Ida Kohn moved to Germany with her daughter.

Mother and daughter Kohn spent some years in Magdeburg where Gertrud attended the Luisenschule, a high school, before she moved to Hamburg. Gertrud passed her university entrance exam at Convent St. Johannis on Holzdamm in 1917. After passing her university entrance exam, Gertrud Kohn began studying history, economics, philosophy, mathematics and sciences at universities in Rostock, Berlin and Hamburg. At the University of Hamburg, her major was medieval and modern history with Professor Max Lenz and Professor Friedrich Keutgen. She studied philosophy with Professor Ernst Cassirer and economics with Professor Heinrich Sieveking. Gertrud Kohn completed her doctorate under Professor Otto Lauffer and Professor Conrad Borchling at the University of Hamburg on 19 June 1923 with the dissertation "Frederick the Great in the Historiography of Ranke and Historians of Lesser Germany". She passed the written and oral examinations on 29 July 1922.

The two Kohn women lived together in an apartment at Mundsburger Damm 26. Ida was widowed and Gertrud remained single until the end of her life. From 6 Dec. 1922 to 31 Mar. 1923 Gertrud Kohn worked as an office assistant at the Consumers Chamber, initiated in 1919 and in 1920 made part of the Deputation for Trade, Shipping and Commerce as a chamber having legal responsibility. In Mar. 1933 this chamber was dissolved by the National Socialists.

When the National Socialists assumed power, the life of the Kohn Family changed radically. Ida was not regarded as a German citizen since she was born in Prague and was only able to finance her life with the help of her sister Adele. Adele had immigrated to London in time and now sent her sister Ida 200 RM each month.

Ida and Gertrud Kohn moved out of their apartment on Mundsburger Damm in July 1939 and lived thereafter at Parkallee 8. Their entire assets were seized for the benefit of the German Reich. Between Mar. and May 1941 the two received financial support again. Acquaintances of Ida, the couple Kurt and Mary Schindler from Prague, transferred the Kohns 2000 crowns each month.

Ida and Gertrud Kohn were on the first transport from Hamburg to Lodz Ghetto on 25 Oct. 1941. In the ghetto they moved into apartment number 23 at Reiterstraße 15. The ghetto registration card noted Gertrud’s profession as journalist. If and when she ever worked in that profession has not been settled.

Ida Kohn died on 20 Apr. 1942 in the Lodz Ghetto. Her daughter Gertrud had to leave the ghetto on 13 May 1942. She was probably taken to Chelmno and killed there in a truck configured to gas its passengers.

Translator: Suzanne von Engelhardt

Kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg.

Stand: October 2016
© Carmen Smiatacz

Quellen: 1; 4; 5; 8; StaHH 314-15, OFP, R 1939/3066; StaHH 364-13, Fakultäten, Phil Fak Prom A 2; StaHH 371-12, Konsumentenkammer I, A II 3 Personalakte; USHMM, RG 15.083 300/17; ITS/ARCH/Getto Litzmannstadt/1203239#1 (1.1.22.1/0007/0552); ITS/ARCH/Kartei Gestapo Hamburg/ 12425847#1 (1.2.3.2/GHH016/0089); ITS/ ARCH/ Transportliste Gestapo/ 11198203#1 (1.2.1.1/0001-0060/0017G/0041); Archivum Panstwowe, Lodz.
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