Search for Names, Places and Biographies

Martha Samson * 1880

Hartungstraße 12 (Eimsbüttel, Rotherbaum)

1942 Theresienstadt
1944 Auschwitz ermordet

further stumbling stones in Hartungstraße 12:
Jenny Frank

Martha Samson, born 28.8.1880 in Hamburg, deported on 19.7.1942 to Theresienstadt, deported on 9.10.1944 to Auschwitz-Birkenau, murdered there

Hartungstraße 12 (Rotherbaum)

Martha was the youngest daughter of the merchant Semmy Abraham Samson (1839-1906) and his wife Sara, née Frensdorf (1841-1919), who were both born in Hamburg and married there in 1863. The names of the following nine of Martha's siblings are known: Martin (1865-1932), Iwan (1866-1928), Adolph, actually Abraham (1868-1929), Rosalie (1870-1944), Henry, actually Harry (1872-1951), Bernhard (1875-1950), Dora (1876-1938), Ida (1879-1923) and Sally (1885-1928), who were all born in Hamburg.

Their grandfather Abraham Samson (1802-1868) was the owner of a "tobacco and cigar factory” in Hamburg's Neustadt district until 1864. His son Semmy Abraham Samson had been co-owner of the company Samson & Hertz at Alter Steinweg 23, which sold manufactured goods and white goods, together with Theodor Hertz since at least 1877. Semmy also acquired Hamburg citizenship in 1877. In 1904, when his daughter Ida married, the 65-year-old was already described as a "private citizen” and was represented by his eldest son Martin as best man. Two years later, Semmy Samson died in the family's new apartment at Grindelallee 150, which they had moved into only five months earlier.

In 1920, a religious tax card was created for 40-year-old Martha Samson at the German-Israelitic Community. Her occupation was listed as "Head of the welfare organization of the D.-I. Wohlfahrtswesen der D.-I. G.” and the residential addresses were noted: Werderstraße 4 Parterre/ Harvestehude (1920-1936) and Hartungstraße 12 I. Stock/ Rotherbaum (from 1936). It was noted on the card with the abbreviation "T.V.” that it was also a member of the liberal Jewish religious association "Tempelverband”. Until 1931, Hamburg Reform Jews used the temple in Poolstraße, then the new building in Oberstraße. Her brother Bernhard was also a member of the Temple Association.

Martha Samson worked at the Welfare Office of the Jewish Community of Hamburg at Rothenbaumchaussee 38 from at least 1920. When her passport was issued in 1927, her profession was entered as "social official”. In the 1929/30 Yearbook for the Jewish Communities of Schleswig-Holstein and the Hanseatic Cities, she was mentioned as "Head of the Central Office”, i.e. the central office of the Welfare Commission. (Jenny Kaufmann, presumably the unmarried Jenny Kaufmann (born 10.9.1886 in Hamburg), was also noted as "Head of Welfare”.

In Hamburg, public welfare was gradually made dependent on "Aryan descent” from 1933 to 1938. Through various individual measures, Jewish people in need of assistance were limited to a small amount of basic care and excluded from various state benefits altogether. From 1935, Jewish welfare benefits were also counted towards public benefits. From November 1938, a decree stipulated that needy Jews were henceforth to be supported by the Jewish Religious Association (as the Jewish community now had to call itself). The Hamburg social welfare administration only allowed the reduced welfare rates in cases where those in need could not be adequately provided for. On November 30, 1939, all German Jews left the public welfare system, which from then on had to be taken over in full by the newly founded Reich Association of Jews in Germany and thus its Hamburg branch, the Jewish Religious Association.

The "Welfare Commission of the German-Israelitic Community, Welfare Department” was located at Beneckestraße 2 from 1936.

In the Hamburg address book of 1932 and 1935, the street directory of the house at Werderstraße 4 contains the entry "Geschwister D. und M. Samson”, without the first names being written out in full in the address book's register of persons. D. Samson” was probably Martha's sister Dora (born 1.8.1876 in Hamburg), who received her own Jewish religious tax card after the death of her mother. "Töchterschule” was noted on it. Her income was so low that from 1924 onwards it was consistently noted "tax irrelevant” and no religious tax was levied.

In 1937, Martha Samson was listed in the Hamburg address book for the first time as the sole main tenant, now at Hartungstraße 12. She had moved there in March 1936. Her apartment was on the first floor of the large and prestigious multi-storey building built in 1894/1895. The number of tenants listed in the address book had increased, which could indicate that the apartments had been divided up. Martha Samson's sister Dora lived with her until her death in November 1938. From February 1941 to February 1942, the former teacher Gertrud Baruch (see www.stolpersteine-hamburg.de) lived with her as a subtenant.

On March 19, 1942, she was assigned to the house at Hallerstraße 24 (renamed Ostmarkstraße 24 in 1938-1945), which belonged to the Jewish Religious Association, was declared a "Jews' house” by the Nazi regime and was included in the preparations for the deportations. From there, she had to go to the Schanzenstraße school on July 18, 1942, which was used as a collection point for the following day's deportation.

On July 19, 1942, 61-year-old Martha Samson, together with her sister-in-law Johanna Samson, née Weis (1870-1942), was deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto, where Martha Samson survived for two years. On October 9, 1944, she was deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp and murdered.

The fate of the siblings:
Iwan, Adolph, Ida and Sally Samson had already died before the Nazi era (see above).

Martha Samson's eldest brother Martin Samson (1865-1932) died in 1932, having completed a commercial apprenticeship after finishing secondary school. In 1891 he married Mathilde Kallmes (born 13.10.1867 in Wandsbek) in the neighboring town of Wandsbek. In the same year, Martin Samson founded the import and export company Samson Gebrüder together with his brother Adolph Samson. The general partnership also operated a branch in London and traded in supplies for iron and metal foundries. In 1898, the brothers acquired Hamburg citizenship on the same day. In 1921, they also founded Aluminum Kokillen-Guss GmbH, which also had its business premises in Hamburg's free port. Martin Samson died in 1932 in his apartment at Innocentiastrasse 54 (Harvestehude). He was buried by the "Neue Beerdigungsgesellschaft” at the Hamburg-Ohlsdorf Jewish cemetery. His widow Mathilde Samson lived at Parkallee 7 I. In 1942, she was forcibly committed to the Jewish old people's home at Sedanstraße 23 (Rotherbaum), which was taken over by the Nazis. She was admitted to the Jewish hospital at Johnsallee 68/ Schlüterstraße with pneumonia and pleurisy, where she died on May 5, 1942.
His son Dr. phil. Otto Samson (born 1.3.1900 in Hamburg) was head of the East Asia department of the Hamburg Museum of Ethnology from 1928 to 1933 - he emigrated to England in 1933.
His brother Bernhard, co-owner of the banking business Mertz & Co. escaped to Palestine. No further details are known.

The sister Rosalie Leopold, née Samson (born 8.12.1870 in Hamburg) was married to Hermann Leopold (1869-1937). As a master butcher, Hermann Leopold owned a store at Grindelallee 114 (Rotherbaum) from 1905 to 1935, and in 1910 he was also able to purchase the house. He had to give up both in 1935/36. In November 1937, he died in the Israelite Hospital; at this time, the Leopolds lived at Grindelallee 12. Before November 1939, Rosalie Leopold moved into one of the free apartments of the Samuel Lewisohn Foundation at Kleiner Schäferkamp 32 (Eimsbüttel). Her assets of around 13,000 Reichsmark were subject to a "security order”. Rosalie Leopold was deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto on July 15, 1942, where she died on March 9, 1944.

Translation: Beate Meyer
Stand: November 2024
© Björn Eggert

Quellen: Staatsarchiv Hamburg (StaH) 231-7 (Handelsregister), A 1 Bd. 27 (A 6783, Samson Gebrüder); StaH 231-7 (Handelsregister), A 3 Bd. 53 (C 3846, Aluminium Kokillen-Guss GmbH); StaH 314-15 (Oberfinanzpräsident), F 2072 (Auswandererakte von Bernhard Samson); StaH 314-15 (Oberfinanzpräsident), FVg 4026 (Auswandererakte von Harry gen. Henry Samson); StaH 314-15 (Oberfinanzpräsident), R 1939/3008 (Vermögenssperre gegen Rosalie Leopold); StaH 332-3 (Zivilstandsaufsicht 1866-1875), A 20 Urkunde 5782 (Geburtsregister 1866, Iwan Samson); StaH 332-3 (Zivilstandsaufsicht 1866-1875), C 41 Urkunde 1878 (Sterberegister 1868, Abraham Samson); StaH 332-3 (Zivilstandsaufsicht 1866-1875), A Nr. 50 Urkunde 3069 (Geburtsregister 1868, Abraham Samson); StaH 332-3 (Zivilstandsaufsicht, 1866-1875), A Nr. 100, Urkunde 7526 (Geburtsregister 1870, Rosalie Samson); StaH 332-3 (Zivilstandsaufsicht 1866-1875), A 130 Urkunde 2861 (Geburtsregister 1872, Harry Samson); StaH 332-3 (Zivilstandsaufsicht 1866-1875), A Nr. 207 Urkunde 5293 (Geburtsregister 1875, Bernhard Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 1873 u. 2993/1876 (Geburtsregister 1876, Dora Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 1955 u. 2769/1879 (Geburtsregister 1879, Ida Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 1982 u. 4123/1880 (Geburtsregister 1880, Martha Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 2100 u. 1294/1885 (Geburtsregister 1885, Sally Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 8584 u. 477/1897 (Heiratsregister 1897, Hermann Leopold u. Rosalie Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 8631 u. 109/1904 (Heiratsregister 1904, Louis Haarburger u. Ida Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 8640 u. 348/1905 (Heiratsregister 1905, Bernhard Samson u. Betty Epstein); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 7985 u. 293/1906 (Sterberegister 1906, Semmy (Abraham) Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 8054 u. 820/1919 (Sterberegister 1919, Sara Samson geb. Frensdorf); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 8097 u. 392/1929 (Sterberegister 1929, Abraham genannt Adolf Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 8112 u. 450/1932 (Sterberegister 1932, Martin Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 1070 u. 444/1937 (Sterberegister 1937, Hermann Leopold); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 1089 u. 376/1938 (Sterberegister 1938, Dora Samson); StaH 332-5 (Standesämter), 8180 u. 212/1942 (Sterberegister 1942, Mathilde Samson geb. Kallmes); StaH 332-7 (Staatsangehörigkeitsaufsicht), A I e 40 Bd. 10 (Bürgerregister 1876-1896 L-Z), Semmy Abraham Samson (20.7.1877 Bürgerrecht Nr. 6708); StaH 332-7 (Staatsangehörigkeitsaufsicht), A I e 40 Bd. 12 (Bürgerregister 1896-1898 L-Z), Martin Samson und Abraham Samson (beide am 15.4.1898 Bürgerrecht); StaH 332-8 (Meldewesen), Alte Einwohnermeldekartei 1892-1925, Rollfilm K 6850 (Semmy Samson); StaH 332-8 (Meldewesen), A 24 Bd. 327 (Reisepassprotokolle), Nr. 14822/1925 (Sozialbeamtin Martha Samson, gültig 22.7.25-21.7.27 für In- u. Ausland); StaH 342-2 (Militär-Ersatzbehörden), D II 39 Band 2 (Martin Samson); StaH 342-2 (Militär-Ersatzbehörden), D II 51 Bd. 4 (Abraham Samson); StaH 342-2 (Militär-Ersatzbehörden), D II 119 Bd. 8 (Sally Samson); StaH 351-11 (Amt für Wiedergutmachung), 1183 (Mathilde Samson); StaH 351-11 (Amt für Wiedergutmachung), 2841 (Bernhard Samson); StaH 522-1 (Jüdische Gemeinden), 992b (Kultussteuerkartei der Deutsch-Israelitischen Gemeinde Hamburg), Martha Samson, Martin/Mathilde Samson, Witwe Semmy Abr. Samson, Dora Samson, Bernhard Samson, Jenny Kaufmann; Bundesarchiv Berlin, R 1509 (Reichssippenamt), Volks-, Berufs-, u. Betriebszählung am 17. Mai 1939 (Martha Samson, Hartungstr. 12 I.; Mathilde Samson geb. Kallmes, Parkallee 7 I.; Rosalie Leopold geb. Samson, Kleiner Schäferkamp 32); Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv Wiesbaden, Heiratsregister Frankfurt/ Main 1897 (Abraham genannt Adolf Samson u. Johanna Bauer); Jüdischer Friedhof Hamburg-Ohlsdorf, Gräberverzeichnis (Martin Samson, gestorben 1.11.1932, Grablage M 2 Nr. 72; Semmy Abraham Samson, gestorben 12.8.1906, Grablage C 10 Nr. 63; Ida Haarburger geb. Samson, gestorben 29.3.1923, KB; Abraham/Adolf Samson, gestorben 2.7.1929, Grablage M 1 Nr. 204; Mathilde Samson geb. Kallmes, gestorben 5.5.1942, Grablage M 2 Nr. 71; Handelskammer Hamburg, Handelsregisterinformationen (A 6783, Samson Gebrüder; C 3846, Aluminium Kokillen-Guss GmbH); Uwe Lohalm, Fürsorge und Verfolgung. Öffentliche Wohlfahrtsverwaltung und nationalsozialistische Judenpolitik in Hamburg 1933 bis 1942, Hamburg 1998, S. 25-32, 49-55; Ina Lorenz, Die Juden in Hamburg zur Zeit der Weimarer Republik, 2 Bände, Hamburg 1987, S. 478 u. 1424 (Martha Samson); Ina Lorenz/ Jörg Berkemann, Die Hamburger Juden im NS-Staat 1933 bis 1938/39, Band I, Göttingen 2016, S. 623-634 (Sozialfürsorge jüdischer Hilfsbedürftiger); Wilhelm Mosel, Wegweiser zu ehemaligen jüdischen Stätten in Hamburg, Heft 2, Hamburg 1985, S. 23-24 (Kleiner Schäferkamp 32), S. 72-77 (Sedanstr. 23); Wilhelm Mosel, Wegweiser zu ehemaligen jüdischen Stätten in Hamburg, Heft 3, Hamburg 1989, S. 36 u. 128 (Martha Samson), S. 36 (Jenny Kauffmann); Ingo Wille, Transport in den Tod, Hamburg 2017, S. 331, 332 (Martha Samson); Jahrbuch für die Jüdischen Gemeinden Schleswig-Holsteins und der Hansestädte (JJGSH), 1929/30, S. 43 (Martha Samson u. Jenny Kaufmann); Hamburger Börsenfirmen 1910/11, S. 565 (Samson Gebrüder, gegr. 1891, Inhaber M. u. A. Samson, Freihafen Hamburg Pickhuben 9, Niederlassung in London E.C.: Samson Brothers, No. 9 Water Lane); Hamburger Börsenfirmen 1926, S. 22 (Aluminium Kokillen-Guss GmbH, gegr. 1921, Geschäftsführer Martin Samson, Prokurist Ad. Samson, Pickhuben 9), S. 892 (Samson Gebrüder, gegr. 1891, Inhaber M. u. A. Samson, Im- u. Export, Freihafen Hamburg Pickhuben 9); Adressbuch Hamburg (A.S. Samson, Taback- u. Cigarren-fabr.) 1839, 1842, 1850, 1860, 1863, 1864; Adressbuch Hamburg 1881 (Semmy Samson, in Firma Samson & Hertz, Manufactur- u. Weißwaren-Lager, Alter Steinweg 23, Wohnung Mathildenstr. 4 II.); Adressbuch Hamburg (Geschwister D. u. M. Samson, Werderstr. 4) 1923, 1932, 1935; Adressbuch Hamburg (Frl. Martha Samson, Hartungstr. 12) 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941; Adressbuch Hamburg 1932 (Martin Samson, in Firma Samson Gebrüder Gießerei-Bedarfsartikel, Hopfenmarkt 18, wohnhaft Innocentiastr. 54); Adressbuch Hamburg (Hermann Leopold) 1905, 1906, 1908-1910, 1934-1935; Adressbuch Hamburg (Parkallee 7, Witwe M. Samson in Firma Gebr. Samson) 1937-1942; Adressbuch Hamburg (Rothenbaumchaussee 38) 1935; Adressbuch Hamburg (Beneckestr. 2) 1936, 1937; www.stolpersteine-hamburg.de (Dr. Herbert Samson, Johanna Samson geb. Weis, Hermann Epstein, Gertrud Baruch).