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Erna Cohn * 1892

Bismarckstraße 93 (Eimsbüttel, Eimsbüttel)

1941 Lodz

further stumbling stones in Bismarckstraße 93:
Judith Cohn

Deborah Cohn, born 2 Sep. 1888 in Rawitsch, deported 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz, murdered there 12 Apr. 1942
Erna Cohn, born 17 Feb. 1892 in Chemnitz, deported 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz
Judith Cohn, born 10 Nov. 1889 in Rawitsch, deported 25 Oct. 1941 to Lodz

Bismarckstraße 93

Until her death, Louise Cohn lived with her three unmarried daughters Deborah, Judith, and Erna, at Bismarckstraße 93. She was born in 1857 in Randers, Denmark to Brigitte (Philippson) and Joseph Levy, an orthopedic technician.

Louise was married to the cantor and teacher Lesser Cohn, who was born in Neustadt near Pinne in Posen. The two older daughters were born in Rawitsch, which was in the formerly Polish region of Prussia, but was a part of the German Reich from 1871 until the end of the First World War. It is not known when the family moved from Eastern Europe to Hamburg, but Jews began leaving Rawistch around 1900. In 1905 only 363 of the 9000 residents of Rawitsch were Jews. The third daughter, Erna, was born in Chemnitz in Saxony. Louise Cohn was widowed early. She died, aged 83, in November 1940, and was thus spared the horror of deportation. Her daughters, however, were not.

Judith Cohn had a stamp dealership at Bismarckstraße 93. She was also employed with Bensien & Co. on Hohe Bleichen. In late 1938, the Chief Tax Authority ordered an audit of her books. At this point Judith was in the hospital after stomach surgery. On 12 December 1938 the Office of Trade, Shipping, and Commerce confiscated her inventory. Since her revenue was minimal and she had no notable financial assets, the audit had no further consequences. Judith Cohn had apparently supplied small quantities of postage stamps to wholesalers and traded stamps with foreign business partners. Nevertheless she was able to support her mother, her sister Erna, and later her sister Deborah.
Deborah had been employed (the entries in the tax records with the Jewish Community are nearly illegible), but had lost her job in April 1939. She worked intermittently as household help. This was possibly of necessity, since she was no longer allowed to work in an office as a result of the Nazi persecution. Erna apparently never worked. There were times that Deborah did not lived at the Bismarckstraße address. Her church tax records list the addresses Schwanenwik 26 II and Rotherbaumchaussee 187, c/o Delbanco, where she lived in late 1940.

All three sisters were deported to Lodz on 25 October 1941, where all traces of them are lost. In the Lodz Ghetto they were quartered at Blattbinderstraße 7 a 3/5. Today the street is called Snycerska.

Translator(s): Amy Lee

Translation kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg

© Susanne Lohmeyer

Quellen: 1; 2 (2998/38); 4; 5; StaH 332-5 Standesämter, 8171 und 729/1940; StaH 522-1 Jüdische Gemeinden 992e2 Deportationsliste; HAB II 1940; Deportationsliste Litzmannstadt, Gedenkstätte Lodz Radegast.