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Meta Horwitz (née Bramson) * 1871

Neumünstersche Straße 33 (Hamburg-Nord, Hoheluft-Ost)

HIER WOHNTE
META HORWITZ
JG. 1871
GEB. BRAMSON
GEDEMÜTIGT / ENTRECHTET
FLUCHT IN DEN TOD
9.12.1941

Meta Horwitz, née Bramson, born on 5 Nov. 1871, humiliated/deprived of her rights, flight to death on 9 Nov. 1941

Neumünstersche Strasse 33 Hoheluft-Ost

Meta was born on 5 Nov. 1871 as the only child of the Jewish couple Isaac Bramson and Ernestine, née Herz, widowed name Wiesenthal. (Isaac Bramson died on 19 Jan. 1912 and Ernestine on 19 Feb. 1919 in Hamburg. Both were buried in the Ilandkoppel Jewish Cemetery).

We know nothing about Meta Bramson’s childhood or any possible training.
Meta married Siegmund Wilhelm Horwitz, a merchant, on 2 July 1903 in Hamburg at Registry Office 3.

He had been born in Hamburg on 17 June 1860, the second of six children of the Jewish couple Abraham Albert Siegmund Horwitz and Ottilie Lasker. (Abraham Albert Horwitz died on 13 June 1900 and Ottilie on 15 Aug. 1914 in Hamburg. Both were buried in the Ilandkoppel Jewish Cemetery).

The couple Meta and Wilhelm Horwitz initially lived with Wilhelm Horwitz’ parents at Hohe Bleichen 31 in Hamburg-Neustadt. They then moved to Mittelweg 34/Rotherbaum, and from 1904 to 1906, they resided at Claudiusstrasse 7 in Wandsbek.

In 1904, Wilhelm and Meta Horwitz opened a stationery store at Catharinenstrasse 16 in Hamburg-Altstadt.

Starting in 1906, they then lived at Richardstrasse 50 in Wandsbek and in 1913, moved to Hagenau 75/Wartenau to reside with Meta’s widowed mother Ernestine Bramson. After she passed away, they moved to Moltkestrasse 47a in Altona in 1919.

Wilhelm Horwitz died at Moltkestrasse 47 on 15 Oct. 1924, and Meta lived there until 1931, when she had herself registered as the owner of the stationery store on Catharinenstrasse after her husband’s death.

In 1932, Meta Horwitz moved to a new apartment at Neumünstersche Strasse 33 in Hoheluft-Ost and resided there until 1941.

Meta Horwitz was a well-off widow, so on 9 Oct. 1939, the foreign currency office obtained a "security order” ("Sicherungsanordnung”) for her assets and compelled her to pay a "levy on Jewish assets” ("Judenvermögensabgabe”). She had to pay 19,481 RM (reichsmark) overall in six installments toward this "atonement payment ["Sühneabgabe”] of the German Jews” after the November Pogrom.

In addition, she had to give up her apartment in 1941 and move to Haynstrasse 5/7 in Eppendorf. On 15 Oct. 1941, Meta Horwitz conscientiously listed her moving goods on two DIN A 4 (approx. letter size) pages and had them approved by the foreign currency office. She bought two more suitcases for the move and commissioned the Heiser Company to pack her belongings. She gave the people working for the packing company a tip of 13 RM.

However, Meta Horwitz only stayed in the "Jews’ house” ("Judenhaus”) at Haynstrasse 5/7 in Eppendorf for three days. Then she moved to Haynstrasse 10 as a subtenant with the Derenbergs, who lived in a "mixed marriage” ("Mischehe”). Three weeks later, she committed suicide there on 8 Nov. 1941. She took barbiturates and died in the Jewish Hospital at Johnsallee 54 the following day, on 9 Nov. 1941. On 8 Nov. 1941, the second large transport of Hamburg Jews had departed the city. Meta Horwitz’ name had not yet appeared on the deportation list. By committing suicide, she anticipated a future deportation order.

(The date of death on the Stolperstein was erroneously given as 9 Dec. 1941.)
A few days after her death, she was buried in the Ilandkoppel Jewish Cemetery next to her husband Wilhelm Horwitz.

It was not until 7 Jan. 1942 that the "security order” on her assets was lifted by the foreign currency office. The deletion for the stationery business from the company register took place on 15 June 1943.

Details concerning the fate of Wilhelm Horwitz’ siblings:
Friedrich Joseph Horwitz (born on 21 Mar. 1857), married to Ida Philippson, died on 15 Jan. 1934, Ida on 26 Dec. 1935 in Hamburg. Both were buried in the Ilandkoppel Jewish Cemetery.

Elise Zipora Horwitz (born on 1 June 1858), married to Benjamin Radlauer, had four children. Elise Zipora Radlauer managed to emigrate, she died in Montevideo on 22 July 1946.

Ottilie Radlauer (born on 1 July 1880) married Julius Brann (born on 20 July 1880). The couple fled to Uruguay.

Gertrud Radlauer (born on 20 July 1880) married Moritz Alfred Werther. The couple fled to Argentina.

Ernst Radlauer (his date of birth is not known) fought in World War I and died in Breslau (today Wroclaw in Poland) on 20 Nov. 1914.

Felix Radlauer (born on 17 Oct. 1889) fought in World War I and died on 2 Nov. 1914.

Anna Friederike Horwitz (born on 20 Apr. 1862), married to Hugo Levy, died on 24 June 1933. She was buried in the Ilandkoppel Jewish Cemetery.
The couple’s child Albert Bruno Ernst Levy (born on 23 Dec. 1900) fled to Buenos Aires/Argentina.

Antonie Luise Horwitz (born on 26 Nov. 1864) died on 12 Aug. 1942 in Theresienstadt. There is a Stolperstein for her at Mittelweg 34/Rotherbaum. See www.stolpersteine-hamburg.de

Paul Eduard Horwitz (born on 1 Jan. 1875) died in Brandenburg on 23 Sept. 1940. There is a Stolperstein for him at Mittelweg 34/Rotherbaum. See www.stolpersteine-hamburg.de

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

Stand: May 2021
© Bärbel Klein

Quellen: StaH 1; 2; 4; 5; 8; 9; 213-13_6408; 32-3_H 1574; 213-13_14316; 213-13_19081; 331-5_3 Akte_1729 / 1941; 332-5_208/1915; 332-3_1774/1871; 332; 5_472/1879; 332-5_292/1894; 332-5_1517/1900; 332-5_157/1919; 332-5_341/1903; 332-5_379/1914; 332-5_208/1915; 332-5_365/192; 332-5_376/1941; 331-3_696 a Geburt Nr. 17/1821 Abraham Albert Siegmund Horwitz; 331-3_696 e Geburt Nr. 56/1857 Friedrich Joseph Horwitz; 331-3_696 e Geburt Nr. 103/1858 Elise Zipora Horwitz; 331-3_696 e Geburt Nr. 110/1860 Siegmund Wilhelm Horwitz; 331-3_696 f Geburt Nr. 86/1862 Anna Friederike Horwitz; 331-3_696 f Geburt Nr. 281/1864 Antonie Louise Horwitz; www.wikipedea.de; www.ancestry.de.
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