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Wolf Loewenhof * 1886

Mansteinstraße 9 (Eimsbüttel, Hoheluft-West)

HIER WOHNTE
WOLF LOEWENHOF
JG. 1886
DEPORTIERT 1938
ZBASZYN / POLEN
???

further stumbling stones in Mansteinstraße 9:
Hans (Johannes) Görtz

Wolf Loewenhof, born on 10 May 1886 in Krzepice; expelled on 28 Oct. 1938 to Poland; missing

Mansteinstrasse 9

Wolf Loewenhof was born on 10 May 1886 in Krzepice, a small provincial town located in what was then the Russian Administrative District of Poland near the border to the Prussian Province of Silesia; Czestochowa (German: Tschenstochau), the next largest city, was about 30 kilometers (approx. 18 miles) away in a south-easterly direction. When he or his family came to Hamburg and joined the Jewish Community was not noted on the Jewish religious tax (Kultussteuer) file card that the German-Israelitic Community in Hamburg had started for him. Later he indicated having resided in Hamburg since 3 Aug. 1931. He was unmarried or lived as a single, respectively, since he was divorced. He found accommodation at various addresses, mostly living as a subtenant, in the very end at Mansteinstrasse 9 on the fourth floor (with Rosenbaum).

In 1935, he was unemployed. As his occupational and employment profile, the Jewish Community had noted "language instructor” in its card file; the same designation is found in the entries of the Hamburg directory, in which he was first listed in 1937.

As a Jew of Polish origin, Wolf Loewenhof was expelled to Poland in late Oct. 1938, after the Polish government had revoked the validity of their [Polish expatriates’] passports as of 30 Oct. 1938.

Together with a few hundred other persons, Wolf Loewenhof was transported to the Polish border on a train of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (German Reich Railroad Company). The border-crossing town on the Polish side was called Zbaszyn. In this place, the following days, weeks, and months saw tragic scenes unfold, as about 10,000 Polish Jews expelled from Germany – single persons, families, or parts of families gathered there. The circumstances of their lives worsened when initially the Polish border officials denied them entry into Poland, forcing them to spend the first days outdoors in the so-called no-man’s-land between the borders. Only later could they be quartered in temporary accommodations by Jewish relief organizations and the Polish authorities in the border town of Zbaszyn and other places.

As far as the German authorities were concerned, the matter in the case of Wolf Loewenhof seemed finished, until Aug. 1939, when he authorized Laya Rejzla Görtz (according to other information, Rosa Görtz) to submit official forms – filled out and signed by him – to the emigration office in Hamburg. With them, he wanted to accomplish that after his compulsory emigration, his property was sent after him, all of which had remained in Hamburg at Mansteinstrasse 9.

Rosa Görtz was the sister of Wolf Loewenhof. She had been born as Laya Rejzla Loewenhof, also in Krzepice, on 29 Mar. 1893. Her parents were listed as Herschel Loewenhof and his wife Kajala Loewenhof, née Haskel. She converted ("gt.” [="baptized”]) in Hamburg and married the non-Jewish man Johannes Görtz ("ev./ar.” [="Protestant, Aryan"]); she was a tailor.

Rosa Görtz then became active on Wolf Loewenhof’s behalf. She had the Reich Bank branch (Reichsbankstelle) (on 5 Aug. 1939), the Treasury of the Hamburg Municipal Administration (4 Aug. 1939), and the tax office responsible for her (Finanzamt Rechtes Alsterufer) confirm for him that he had neither debts pertaining to the Reich or general taxes owing nor any foreign currency issues to settle; he also declared not having to settle any private debts within the German Reich. Thus, all prerequisites for a "tax clearance certificate” ("Unbedenklichkeitserklärung") had been met with a view to a belated handing over of his household effects.

At this point, Rosa Görtz submitted an "application for taking along moving goods.” Higher court bailiff Kaufmann examined the goods, correcting the values indicated for some of the items, charging for his official action fees amounting to 20.28 RM (reichsmark), and having Rosa Görtz confirm the proceedings.

The moving goods were scheduled to be shipped to the address of "17 stycznia 23/9, Zbaszyn.” Thus, by this time, Wolf Loewenhof appears to have had permanent accommodation in Zbaszyn. Rosa Görtz packed his belongings (on the list, a large "overseas suitcase” was indicated for this purpose) and was about to send them off, when the German Wehrmacht transferred troops to the eastern border of the German Reich.

Zbaszyn, just 8 kilometers (approx. 5 miles) from the Polish-German border, was captured by the Wehrmacht on the first day of the war. There is no information about the subsequent life of Wolf Loewenhof. In the emigration office in Hamburg, one last processing note concerning the case exists, dated 30 Jan. 1940, indicating that the case was being filed away.

It is worth directing one last look, however, to Wolf Loewenhof’s list of moving goods. In it, Wolf Loewenhof – or was it Rosa Görtz? – had listed, in addition to household goods, clothing, and other private items, a camera, tripod, and photographic plates, books on painting, history, and philosophy, as well as "various portraits painted by himself” and other paintings; the list also included miscellaneous folders containing different artists and prints. He even wished to have an easel with colors, brushes, and other drawing materials sent after him to Poland. Did his paintings and photographs perhaps survive somewhere?


Translator: Erwin Fink
Kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg.

Stand: March 2017
© Peter Offenborn

Quellen: 1; StaH 314-15 Oberfinanzpräsident FVg 7860 (Auswanderungsakte); Rosa und Koppel Friedfertig, Die Polenaktion 1938 in Hamburg, aufgezeichnet in Tel Aviv Anfang November 1944 (StaH Handschr. 1354).
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