Search for Names, Places and Biographies
Already layed Stumbling Stones
Suche
Stolpertonstein
Sprecher/in: Ute Smith & Achim Schülke
;)
© Gesche Cordes
Clara Tuch (née Levie) * 1875
Billbrookdeich 152 (vormals Haus Nr. 49) (Hamburg-Mitte, Billbrook)
HIER WOHNTE UND
ARBEITETE
CLARA TUCH
GEB. LEVIE
JG. 1875
DEPORTIERT 1942
THERESIENSTADT
TREBLINKA
ERMORDET
further stumbling stones in Billbrookdeich 152 (vormals Haus Nr. 49):
Dr. Theodor Tuch
Theodor Tuch, Dr. phil., born 4/20/1865 in Hamburg, deported to Theresienstadt 7/19/1942, deported on to Treblinka on 9/21/1942
Clara Tuch, née Levie, born 5/12/1875, deported to Theresienstadt on 7/19/1942
deported on to Treblinka on 9/21/1942
Billbrookdeich 152 (formerly no. 49)
In the 1930s, small red delivery vans with the company logo "H. C. J. Karstadt" within the coat of arms of Hamburg were a common sight on the streets of the city – the vehicles connected the plant and the company’s headquarters at Billbrookdeich 49 in Billbrook with its 41 branches and approx. 300 points of acceptance all over town. The company was commonly known as "Karstadt – Porges", and the cars carried textiles to be washed, dry-cleaned or dyed. The enterprise with the name reminiscent of the Rudolph Karstadt department store chain, founded in 1847 by Johann Hinrich Carl Karstadt, was one of the first to settle in the emerging industrial quarter of Billbrook, originally an artisanal business for dyeing "rags”, as cut pieces of cloth and sewn pieces of clothing were commonly called at the time.
Billbrook was one of Hamburg’s country communities; wealthy merchants built their country houses with extensive agricultural estates along the Bille River.
When Billbrook was developed for commerce and industry from the middle of the 19th century, George Porges, a Jew born in Galesburg, Illinois, USA, several plots of land. He was a founding member of the Masonic lodge "Henry-Jones-Loge zum Grusse." In 1889, he bought the company "Johann Hinrich Carl Karstadt" adjoining his property in Billbrook, started converting it from a commercial to an industrial business and changed the name to J. H. C. Karstadt. George Porges founded a medium-sized family business. In 1889, he married Helene Tuch, Theodor’s two years younger sister. In 1892, he gave his 24-year-old son-in-law power of representation. Helene and Theodor received 25,000 gold marks each from their father, which they invested in the company.
Theodor Tuch was born in Hamburg April 20th, 1865 as the first of five children of Gustav Tuch and his wife Caroline, née Hildesheim. He left Hamburg to study philosophy and mathematics at various universities in Germany; after acquiring a Ph.D. in Jena, he returned to Hamburg to assume a leading position at "Hamburg’s largest steam dye-works” (according to Georg Porges’ presentation of his company at the industry and commerce Fair in 1889. In 1996, Theodor married Caroline Levie, ten years his junior. Their son Hans was born June 27th, 1897, their daughter Edith on June 7th, 1901.
Around the turn of the century, Billbrook was extensively changed by heightening the terrain, straightening levees, digging canals, building roads and railroad tracks to suit the requirements of industrialization. This affected Porges’ property as the straightening and relocation of Billwerder’s main levee required an exchange of property in the north, and the heightening of the southern sector and the building of the road now called Berzeliusstrasse also involved an exchange of plots. The J. H. C. Karstadt factory premises in the corner between Billbrookdeich and Moorflether Strasse was not affected by these measures.
The industrial application of the innovations the chemical industry provided in the sector of synthetic dyes in the second half of the nineteenth century required large and complex equipment that George Porges and Theodor Tuch installed on their factory premises that initially were inadequately connected to the transport infrastructure; the Billwerder industrial rail line only provided a track connection to the plant for tank and freight cars in 1907. The new factory halls with their shed roofs with glare-free windows on the north side housed state of the art equipment, e.g. rotating drums for washing and dyeing, high-pressure autoclaves and steam-heated rotary pressing irons. The necessary operating energy came from the company’s own boiler plant with an output of 55 horsepower. There were special remote storage sheds for dangerous materials and chemicals, connected to the factory halls by pipelines. The company produced its own anti-benzine-pyrene, a chemical to prevent the self-ignition of benzine. Industrial safety and the protection of up to 230 workers generally enjoyed high priority with the management. A master craftsman headed the dye-works, and doctors of chemistry were in charge of quality control and process management in the laboratory.
In spite of all precautions, disaster struck in 1907: the complete supply of petroleum benzine caught fire and burned, apparently without further damage. The fire insurance companies accounted for the cost of the destroyed 5,147.9 kilos of cleaning fluid, and the government reimbursed the tax of 398.40 marks. There are no known reports of similar accidents in the company history. Unlike in the family histories: Herebert Porges and Hans Tuch, the owners’ only sons, were both killed in World War I.
The master of the dye-works lived on the company premises. George Porges resided in the center of Hamburg, later in Oberstrasse in Harvestehude; Theodor Tuch changed addresses repeatedly in the Borgfelde and Hamm area.
In 1918, George Porges and Theodor Tuch transformed the business into a GmbH, a limited company. In the company register, they entered the takeover and continuation dye- and dry-cleaning works of the J. H. C. Karstadt company and related commercial activities as the purpose of the enterprise (the incorporation of further similar businesses and partnerships in the like were to be considered as operations connected with the object of the company). Theodor Tuch was appointed general manager, George Porges as his deputy. Thus, the partners cleared the way for the expansion of their company in various directions. Theodor Tuch successfully guided the business through the hyperinflation of 1923. Since George Porges devoted much of his time to his second company, the Kommanditgesellschaft George Porges, managers supported Theodor Tuch, in January 1928 his son-in-law Otto-Erich Blumenfeld and Alfred Lehmann. Edith Tuch had married the dye-master and merchant Otto-Erich Blumenfeld in 1924.
One of the company’s most prominent competitors, Färberei J. H. Busch, had got into financial trouble in the world economic crisis and in 1931 approached J. H. C. Karstadt GmbH to combine their operations. The Busch company closed their plant and had the orders accepted in their branches processed at the J. H. C. Karstadt plant. The cooperation, however, did not generate the expected savings. To avoid the bankruptcy of Busch, J. H. C. Karstadt provided a sizeable amount of capital to satisfy the Busch creditors. With the result that Karstadt themselves got into trouble, but were unable to save Busch. In 1932, Theodor Tuch suffered the loss of his sister Helene Porges, who died on November 3rd.
After the Nazis came to power in 1933, the ownership of the company changed; Otto-Erich Blumenfeld took over the shares of George Porges and moved to the company premises; Theodor Tuch moved in with him in 1934. At that time, Tuch still owned 48,000 RM of the nominal capital of 50,000 RM; Otto-Erich Blumenfeld and Alfred Lehmann, the two managers with power of representation, owned shares of 1,000 RM each. As all three were rated as Jews, Blumenfeld officially as "mongrel of the 1st degree”, longtime large customers such as shipping lines and theaters first reduced their orders following directions of the Nazi officials and authorities; later, these customers were completely banned from doing business with J. H. C. Karstadt. Many private customers also withdrew. Nonetheless, the company still operated without loss. However, it was threatened with bankruptcy, as it had to bear the debt from the cooperation with the Busch company at reduced earnings. In spite of all difficulties, Theodor Tuch and Otto-Erich Blumenfeld continued to run the company successfully. Alfred Lehmann, the second manager, emigrated to the Netherlands. Theodor Tuch’s personal income was so low that he was not appraised for taxes.
Otto-Erich Blumenfeld was arrested after the November 1938 pogrom and released from Sachsenhausen concentration camp on December 15th under the condition that he emigrate immediately. Blumenfeld therefore pursued his emigration to the USA with his wife Edith and their children René, born September 10th, 1928, and Malkah, born April 17th, 1932. At about the same time, the currency office of the Chief Finance Administrator inspected Theodor Tuch and his company. As Tuch credibly had no intention of emigrating, he was allowed to continue the business, considering the sizeable number of approx. 200 employees. In his "security order” of December 3rd, 1938, the Chief Finance Administrator laid down the conditions for Theodor Tuch’s disposal of his assets and his personal income:
"Herr Dr. Tuch is only allowed to dispose of his RM 49,000 share in the company and the loan of approx. RM 10,000 out of this share and further receivables against the J. H. C. Karstadt company with my approval under the above reference.
Herr Dr. Tuch can, without approval, can withdraw RM 600 at Fa. J. H. C. Karstadt from his private account (illegible) for his subsistence, public dues and the Israelitic community tax, provided these are paid directly to the creditors."
The dues included the "atonement payment” and the "levy on Jewish assets” of RM 6,400, which Tuch paid with an obligation. Otto-Erich Blumenfeld ceded his complex claims against the company to his "Aryan” mother and his Jewish father Moses Blumenfeld.
Half a year later, Theodor Tuch’s life’s work belonged to Hermann Friedrich Schneider from Pinneberg. The contract of May 20th, 1939 transferred all shares of J. H. C. Karstadt GmbH to him. Schneider was obliged "to pay 70 percent of the still to be determined de-jewishing profit to the benefit of the German Reich as compensation.” This contract was approved by Reich governor Karl Kaufmann on July 31st, 1939. Theodor and Clara Tuch were allowed to remain living on the premises together with the longtime dye-master H. Randig. Already in September, the Tuchs’ monthly Allowance was reduced to 500 RM.; special expenses were approved on request, e.g. the payments to the real estate agent, stock market sales tax and the fee for the consulent (attorney) Dr. Haas. In February 1940, the allowance was further reduced to 450 RM – with documented monthly expenses of 500 RM.
Theodor and Clara Tuch were billeted with Gustav Jordan at his one-family home at Horstlooge 35 in Volksdorf, together with the schoolteacher Gella Streim. Their sojourn there is well documented (see the brochure "Stolpersteine in Hamburg-Wandsbek"). When Theodor and Clara Tuch were to be "evacuated” to the Theresienstadt ghetto, only 5,858 RM were left of the of the land and industrial assets of the J. H. C. Karstadt company that Theodor Tuch had successfully run for half a century – and he had to cede this money to the Jewish Religious Association of Hamburg for "home entry contracts.” On July 15th, 1942, Theodor and Clara Tuch, 77 and 67 years of age, were deported to Theresienstadt; and on September 21st, were transported on to the Treblinka extermination camp; it can be assumed that they were murdered immediately upon arrival. After their removal, the silverware they had been forced to surrender – eleven pieces of cutlery with an estimated value of 22.50 RM – was forfeited to the Reich. It was auctioned already on August 18th and yielded 40 RM, which were credited to the account of the Chief Finance Administrator after deduction of charges and fees.
After the death of his wife Helen on November 31st, 1932, George Porges married Recha Würzburg, a widow. He took his own life on February 2nd, 1942. Recha Porges was among those deported to Theresienstadt on July 15th, 1942. In February 1945, she was on the only transport that led to freedom in Switzerland.
Epilogue: in the restitution proceedings after the fall of the Fall of the "Third Reich”, 50 percent of the J. H. C. Karstadt company was returned to Edith Blumenfeld and liquidated on December 31st, 1965. Around 1980, a monuments expert rated the condition of the buildings that then were used by a trucking company as good and recommended that the historic monuments protection authority consider placing the "almost amorphous group of buildings that lead over into the small-sized building development on Billbrookdeich " under protection. The building authority, however, decided that the ensemble did not comprise "industrial and technical buildings worth being preserved” and approved their demolition.
Translated by Peter Hubschmid
Kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg.
Stand: March 2019
© Hildegard Thevs mit Ulrich Bauche
Quellen: 1; 2 R1938/2465, R 1938/3333; 4; 5; 7; diverse Adressbücher; StaH, 132-1 I Senatskommission f. d. Reichs- und auswärtigen Angelegenheiten, 1257 UA 59; 214-1 Gerichtsvollzieherakten, 683; 231-3 Handelsregister, A 12, Bd 20; 231-7 Handelsregister, A1 Band 78, 19124; 311-2 IV Finanzdeputation IV, DV VI A 1 b XXVD, DV VI A 1 b XXVM; 351-8 Aufsicht über Stiftungen, B 276; 351-11 AfW, 707, 24620; 413-3/1 Landschaft Billwärder, 38 b; 522-1 Jüdische Gemeinden, 872 III 1927, Nr. 2; Bezirksamt Hmb-Mitte, Bauprüfabt. Billstedt, Bauakte: Billbrookdeich 152/158; Frühauf, Fabrikarchitektur; Hamburgs Handel und Verkehr, 1897–1899 und 1901–1903; Zwirner, Gutachten.
Zur Nummerierung häufig genutzter Quellen siehe Link "Recherche und Quellen".
