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Herbert Mitz * 1889

Isestraße 86 (Eimsbüttel, Harvestehude)

HIER WOHNTE
HERBERT MITZ
JG. 1889
DEPORTIERT 1941
LODZ
TOT 23.2.1942

further stumbling stones in Isestraße 86:
Erna Bragenheim, Erna Bragenheim, Martin Bragenheim, Emma Hinrichs, Jeanette Ostwald, Sophie Ostwald, Senta Schwarz

Herbert Mitz, born on 27 May 1889, deported on 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz, died there on 23 Feb. 1942

Herbert Mitz, a native of Hamburg, was the son of Jaques Mitz’ second marriage, to Rosalie, née Treifel. His father’s first marriage, to Cäcilie, née Louis, had produced another child, Herbert’s half brother Oskar, who was nine years his senior.

As adults, Oskar was married to the Protestant Marie Schmidt from Wandsbek, and Herbert to a native of Iserlohn, Grete Weinberg.

The Jewish Weinberg family had been residents of Iserlohn since 1888. Grete’s father, Sally, had owned a fashion store on Wermingser Strasse since 1896. With his wife Jenny, née Jonas, he had one daughter, Grete, who was born on 7 Apr. 1891. After getting married to Herbert Mitz, Grete left Iserlohn and moved in with her husband to live at Bossdorfstrasse 4 in Hamburg. In 1937, the childless couple relocated their place of residence to Isestrasse 86.

As an authorized signatory at Dresdner Bank and later as a sales representative for the Kalbfell Company as well as the Jacobsen und Sohn Company, which traded in flowers, Herbert earned a regular income that sufficed to cover all costs incurred. In addition, he managed to generate a savings balance amounting to 3,250 RM (reichsmark) and to invest 500 RM in securities of Dresdner Bank. Starting in 1940, both were no longer allowed to manage their assets on their own.

In accordance with the "security order” ("Sicherungsanordnung”) dated 19 Jan. 1940, the entire sum was paid into a "security account with limited disposability.” The sum of 211 RM had to suffice for rent and living expenses. Herbert’s widowed mother-in-law, Jenny Weinberg, had left Iserlohn and lived in the couple’s household as well since 1939, which meant she was able to contribute a modest amount to support them. However, when she passed away in 1940, this sum discontinued. Herbert Mitz was forced to apply for an increase of the "allowance” to 260 RM, which was approved in the end.

Jenny Weinberg left to her daughter 1,125 RM, but this money, too, was transferred to the "security account.” Amounts exceeding the authorized limit of 260 RM had to be approved by the foreign currency office, and Grete Mitz had to submit such an application concerning disbursement of part of her inheritance as well. She wrote, "I would like to ask for notification as to when I will be allowed to dispose of the aforementioned 600 RM.” From Apr. 1941 onward, Grete was enlisted for labor duty at a plant, as a letter dated 4 April to the foreign currency office documents. Her wages were not paid but immediately transferred to the "security account” and they were thus not available to the family. The same applied to Herbert Mitz, who was employed at the Rasch & Jung Department Store.

On 10 Oct. 1941, Grete Mitz passed away and she was buried in the Ohlsdorf Cemetery. For the gravestone and the inscription, the commissioned stonemason by the name of Dannemann in Fuhlsbüttel charged 229 RM; again, in order to obtain permission to transfer the money, the widower had to apply to the foreign currency office.

Not long after the death of his wife, Herbert Mitz appeared on the list for the transport on 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz. He was supposed to stand in for possible "no shows,” something that did in fact happen. Upon arrival in the Lodz Ghetto, he was assigned to a quarter in room no. 10 of the house at Rauchgasse 37. He lived there with his cousin Sylvia Mitz, a master tailor from Hamburg deported as well.

Herbert Mitz only survived in the ghetto for just over half a year, perishing seriously ill on 22 February at the age of 53. Sylvia Mitz had nursed him and other sick people. As late as May 1942, she submitted an application to be exempted from the announced "resettlement” ("Aussiedlung”). She indicated to have striven intensively toward employment as a tailor but she learned in the ghetto workshops that no Germans would be hired anymore.

Her application for exemption was turned down – "ODMOWA” – and on 10 May 1942, she was murdered in the Chelmno extermination camp. A "Stolperstein” in front of her last residential address at Moltkestrasse 57 in Hamburg serves to commemorate her.


Translator: Erwin Fink

Kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg.

Stand: October 2017
© Eva Decker

Quellen: 1; 2; 4; 8; Stadtarchiv Iser­lohn, Geburtsregister, 217/ 1891; USHMM, RG 15083, M 300/265-266; Susanne Lohme­yer, E-Mail vom 26. November 2009.
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