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Dorothea Seligmann (née Cohen) * 1875

Heußweg 11 (Eimsbüttel, Eimsbüttel)

1941 Lodz

further stumbling stones in Heußweg 11:
Selma Blumenthal, Louis Blumenthal

Dorothea Seligmann, née Cohn, born on 9 May 1875 in Wartenburg/East Prussia, deported on 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz

Heussweg 11

According to the Memorial Book of the German Federal Archives, Dorothea Seligmann was a native of Wartenberg in East Prussia. Probably this is a typing error and the correct spelling must be Wartenburg. Wartenberg was located in Silesia, and in East Prussia there was a Wartenburg (today Barczewo). When Dorothea Cohn was born, Wartenburg had a population of about 4,000, some 100 of whom were Jewish. Dorothea’s parents were Marcus Cohn and Friederike, née Anschel. We do not know when she left her birthplace and went to Hamburg. Hamburg was already home to her brothers Salomon and Leo Cohn as well as to her unmarried sister, Johanna Cohn (born on 19 July 1877).

Dorothea Cohn married Max Seligmann (born on 26 Aug. 1867). The Seligmanns operated a store selling ready-to-wear women’s clothing at Reeperbahn 87/89, which likely belonged to Dorothea’s brothers Salomon and Leo, however. Entered for this address in the directory was also Salo. Cohn, a factory producing women’s coats. Dorothea’s brothers also operated Salo. Cohn & Co, ready-to-wear women’s clothing, at Billhorner Röhrendamm 162/166. In the 1924 directory, Dorothea’s husband Max Seligmann was listed as a traveling salesman. Probably, he marketed the coats his brother-in-law produced. The couple resided at Breitenfelder Strasse 8. After Max Seligmann’s death in 1929, Dorothea became a partner in the firm. Her brothers remained the principal partners. The business was deleted from the company register on 19 Dec. 1938, for there were no assets left. Starting in 1936, business had declined considerably. From 1 Apr. 1938 onward, Dorothea Seligmann was unemployed. When she was deported to Lodz at the age of 66, she lived with the Blumenthals at Heussweg 11 (see also Blumenthal family).

Dorothea and Max Seligmann had at least two children, Julius (born on 17 May 1899) and Augusta (born on 14 Oct. 1904). Augusta subsequently lived in the USA. Dorothea’s sister Johanna Cohn was deported on 6 Dec. 1941 to Riga-Jungfernhof.


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

Stand: January 2019
© Susanne Lohmeyer

Quellen; 1; 5; StaH 332-5 Standesämter, 954 und 99/1929; StaH 351-11 AfW, 090575; HAB II 1923 und 1926.
Zur Nummerierung häufig genutzter Quellen siehe Link "Recherche und Quellen".