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Norbert Margulies * 1885

Isestraße 93 (Eimsbüttel, Harvestehude)

1941 Lodz

further stumbling stones in Isestraße 93:
Lina Cossen, Valeska Hertz, Rosa Lion, Lilly Margulies, Ursel Margulies

Norbert Margulies, born on 23 Mar. 1885 in Jaroslaw, deported on 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz
Lilly Margulies, née Mandel, born on 20 Mar. 1889, deported on 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz
Ursel Margulies, born on 20 Dec. 1923, deported on 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz

Originally from Jaroslaw in Poland, Norbert Margulies was the son of Isaac and Marie Margulies. In Hamburg, he met his future wife Lilly, née Mandel, with whom he had two children: son Justus, born on 29 Aug. 1920, and Ursula Johanne, called Ursel, born on 20 Dec. 1923. Both grew up in their parents’ apartment at Isestrasse 93. The father earned a regular salary as a bank employee, while mother Lilly was not gainfully employed.

In 1940, Justus Margulies passed away at the age of 20. His parents and his sister outlived him by only a few years. They were deported to Lodz on 25 Oct. 1941, where they were assigned a room in a building on Hausierergasse.

Since 4 December, Norbert Margulies was employed as "Jewish Service Policeman no. 564” ("Ordnungsdienstmann Nr. 564”) with the "Police Service” ("Ordnungsdienst”), the controversial Jewish "ghetto police.” Daughter Ursel worked since 1 Apr. 1942 as a crocheter in Plant 82 at Fischstrasse 21, initially in the "linen and dresses” ("Wäsche und Kleider”) section, then in the Handstrickerei (handknitting) section.

In May 1942, the first deportations to the Chelmno extermination camp took place. The affected ghetto occupants had received a "departure order” in April. Under the assumption that this was a transfer to a labor camp, most of them had submitted petitions explaining their unfitness for work, in the hope that they would be exempted from the transports. In fact, however, they had thus accelerated their deaths because only those persons whose work capacity could still be used were exempted. Anyone not fit for work was deported to Chelmno and murdered. The Margulies family also ranked among the exceptions.

On 8 May 1942, Norbert Margulies applied for his wife, his daughter, and himself to obtain an exemption from the "departure order,” which was approved shortly afterward. The decisive factor may have been his position as a "Jewish Service Policeman.” In order to preserve the loyalty of the "ghetto police,” the authorities spared Norbert Margulies and his relatives the transports, for the time being.

In the following year, Lilly Margulies was the first family member to succumb to the strains of the ghetto. On 3 Feb. 1943, she died of starvation. Ursel followed a year later, perishing on 23 May 1944. We do not know Norbert Margulies’ date of death; he was declared dead later.


Translator: Erwin Fink

Kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg.

Stand: October 2017
© Eva Decker

Quellen: 1; 4; 5; 8; USHMM, RG 15083, M 302/287-292; Fritz Neubauer, Universität Bielefeld, E-Mail vom 19.11.2009.
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