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Elise Pollack (née Koeben) * 1864

Grindelallee 150 (Eimsbüttel, Rotherbaum)

HIER WOHNTE
ELISE POLLACK
GEB. KOEBEN
JG.1864
DEPORTIERT 1942
THERESIENSTADT
ERMORDET 2.11.1942

Elise Pollack, née Koeben, born on 9 Mar. 1864 in Forst/Lausitz, deported on 19 July 1942 to Theresienstadt, died there on 2 Nov. 1942

Grindelallee 150

Elise Pollack was born as a child of Jewish parents. She lived in Hamburg from 1882 to 1942, residing at Grindelallee 150 for a long time. She was forced to leave her old home and move to the "Jews’ house” ("Judenhaus”) at Rutschbahn 25a from 19 Sept. 1941 to 19 July 1942. Since 1 Sept. 1941, she had to identify herself as Jewish by a yellow "Jews’ star” ("Judenstern”) sewn on to her clothing.

Elise Pollack grew up in a middle-class home. Her father, Ludwig Louis Koeben, worked as a physician and was able to offer the family a high standard of living. Her mother was Emeline Koeben, née Messe. The family lived in Forst, where Elise was born.

Carl Max Pollack, Elise’s husband, was born in Berlin on 11 Apr. 1854 and died on 13 Nov. 1919. The wedding had taken place in 1884. Elise Pollack gave birth to three children in the course of her life. Charlotte Marie, subsequent married name Lass, was born on 25 Nov. 1889 in Hamburg and lived at Isestrasse 57. A trained stenographer and accountant, she was not employed for a long time, however. She was married to Wilhelm Johann Abraham Lass. The marriage remained childless. Charlotte Lass had to perform forced labor in Hamburg at the Heldmann soap packing company on Gasstrasse. In her application for restitution, she complained about the disproportionately heavy work at low wages.

Son Martin Emil Pollack was born on 4 Oct. 1894 in Hamburg. He learned the profession of a merchant and married Ida, née Huller. Later, he lived with his wife and their child in Berlin-Schöneberg and was obliged by the welfare police to pay 10 RM (reichsmark) per month to the welfare authorities toward the support of his needy, ailing mother. He emigrated to the USA, where he lived in New York. The daughter Susette, called Suse, claimed financial difficulties of her own family, thus not allowing her to support her mother.

Susette Koeben, née Pollack, married her cousin Carl Hans Koeben. They lived in Berlin-Schöneberg before emigrating to Shanghai. Susette had two children, Ilse and Heinz. Ilse Koeben was born on 31 Dec. 1911 in Berlin and died on 24 Dec. 1942 in Shanghai. Heinz Koeben was born on 5 Mar. 1917 in Berlin.

With increasing age, Elise Pollack’s need for help grew. In the beginning, she managed to earn a living by renting out rooms in her apartment, which she provided for 26 to 50 RM per month. However, starting on 15 Dec. 1931 several rooms remained vacant, which meant that she suffered considerable losses. After taking less and less rent, she tried to sell the furniture. As tenants failed to rent accommodations, she was no longer able to maintain her standard of living, which had not been particularly high even before. She also needed orthopedic care as she suffered from the consequences of her flat feet and hallux valgus. Because of her illness, she was dependent on orthopedic boots, on her caregiver Mr. Leon, and on financial support from the Hamburg Welfare Authority and her children. From 1931 onward, she was subject to public welfare assistance. Due to her need for help, by that time she lived as a subtenant with Charlotte and Wilhelm Lass, who supported her.

Elise Pollack was persecuted as a Jewish woman and had to move into the "Jews’ house” at Rutschbahn 25a. On 19 July 1942, the Gestapo deported her on Transport VI/2 from Hamburg to Theresienstadt. Her sister Rosalie (Rosa) Scharlach, née Koeben, born on 9 Mar. 1874 in Forst/Lausitz, ten years her junior, had been assigned to the same transport as well.

On 2 Nov. 1942, Elise Pollack died in Theresienstadt as a result of pneumonia.

The attending physician was Walter Salmkovitz. Eduard Lebenhart carried out the postmortem on 12 Nov. 1942 at 1.20 p.m. On 14 Nov. 1942, Elise Pollack was buried in the Theresienstadt Ghetto. Her sister Rosalie Scharlach died about four months later, on 8 Mar. 1943, in Theresienstadt of "myocardial paralysis.”

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

© Sarah Puhlmann und Esther Harning

Quellen: 1; 5; StaH 351-11_ Amt für Wiedergutmachung 912 UEG 40 A; StaH 351-14 Arbeits- und Sozialfürsorge – Sonderakten 1688 140 B 3/1; http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/KZ_Theresienstadt#Theresienstadt_
und_die_.E2.80.9EEndl.C3.B6sung_der_Judenfrage.E2.80.9C (letzter Aufruf: 1.7.2016); Todesfallanzeige Elise Pollack, geb. Koeben, online: www.holocaust.cz/de/datenbank-der-digitalisierten-dokumenten/do kument/88291-pollack-elise-todesfallanzeige-ghetto-theresienstadt (letzter Aufruf: 13.9.2016); Todesfallanzeige Rosalie Scharlach, online: www.holocaust.cz/de/datenbank-der-digitalisierten-dokumenten/do kument/96361-scharlach-rosalie-todesfallanzeige-ghetto-theresienstadt.
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