Max Marcus Berger and Helene Hamburger Berger
Max and Helene Berger (around 1930)
Dad's Memories:
I remember vaguely my grandfather's 70th birthday. I was barely twelve years old and could fully participate in the celebration. Actually, my grandmother had her 60th the same year - February while grandfather's was in November. So we had two big events in 1926. Unfortunately the year was marred by the death of my mother's only brother from tuberculosis[1] which occurred a couple of months after my grandmother's birthday.[2] Thus we had a big party for her, but only a rather subdued get-together for grandfather.
[Letter to Eleanor Silberman, December 22, 1984]
...
Don't know if Dad just told me the following, or whether this is something else written somewhere. This is in the family tree info (see https://www.geni.com/people/Max-Berger/6000000098151780001)
Had dry good store in Liegnitz.[3] Banked in same building as store was.
On Rosh Hashanah, they would receive visitors at their home, as the respected elders.
Moved to B'nai B'rith retirement home outside Berlin (Berlin-Lichterfelde Ost). Bank went bankrupt shortly thereafter, so very little money was lost. They had two rooms, not really any monthly charges, but had to pony up most of assets. Moved to one room after grandmother died.[4]
Only member of family to own stock, had some shares in a Berlin sewer and water work.
...
I was told by fairly reliable witnesses that he was deported to Theresienstadt an[d] from there to an extermination Camp when he was almost 88 years old.[5]
[Notes on top of letters that his grandfather sent Dad]
...
In 1866 my grandmother, Helene Hamburger, was born in Poznan (Kempler), later Germany. She had one brother Siegfried, father of Alice Hamburger whom Fred knew in New York. The two lost their parents early in their teens and were taken in by their paternal uncle and aunt to be raised with their children.
From Zabzre site:
life dates:
born November 16, 1856 Zabrze death Shoah [deported from Berlin on July 21, 1942 Theresienstadt Ghetto (Terezin - Czech Republic), on September 19, 1942 Treblinka]
parents: merchant Moritz Berger and Rosalie Berger née Goldmann
wife husband: Helene Berger née Hamburger
children: Margarethe Berger p.v. Silbermann b. 8/08/1888 Gleiwitz (Gliwice) d. 12/15/1960; Ernst Berger b. July 13, 1891 Gleiwitz (Gliwice) d. 1926
professional activity / place:
merchant Klein Zabrze (Małe Zabrze) (1869, 1876, 1884, 1886) [6]
other: -
The Magdeburg Fire Insurance Company
Magdeburg hail insurance company
Magdeburg general insurance action company
The agency for Zabrze and the surrounding area is responsible for accident insurance in place of Mr. Eugene Pollack who has resigned, entrusted the merchant Mr. Max Berger in Zabrze, which we are bringing to public attention.
Big Sale !!
I have been selling old and new, harmonics, ponchos, woven trousers, shirts at a price that suits me and I pay attention to such cheap prices.
Max Berger, Zabrze
in the house of the painter J. Saga
From Deutscher Reichsanzeiger Apr. 14, 1885
Gleiwitz. announcement. [2142]
In our company register is under serial no. 632 the Company:
"Max Berger"
and as its owner the merchant Max Berger registered in Gleiwitz on April 7, 1885.
Gleiwitz, April 7, 1885.
Royal District Court
From Deutscher Reichsanzeiger July 11, 1894
[need to clean up translate]
[23810] Bankruptcy Proceedings.
In the bankruptcy proceedings over the assets of Kaufmann Max Berger to Gleiwitz is to Acceptance of the administrator's invoice , for Raising objections to the final _ list of those to be considered in the distribution Claims and for the resolution of the creditors about the non - usable assets of the
Closing date on Wednesday August 1st 1894, a.m. 9} g before the Royal District Courts here, Room 9 (Schöffenhall) determined.
Gleiwitz, July 5 , 1894.
«Jakubek,
Court clerk of the Royal District Court
From Deutscher Reichsanzeiger Apr. 4, 1898
Legnica. [1038]
According to the decree of March 19 , 1898 are on same day in our company register following Entries made :
1) At No. 1058, which belongs to Legniß as a branch branch registered company Louis Graud concerning:
The branch office is by purchase on the Merchant Max Berger went over to Liegniß, which the business under the previous company continues. The branch office has been raised as a main office and has therefore expired. Comparing No. 1149 of the Companies Register.
2) Under no. 1149 the company Louis Grand in Liegnitz and as its owner the merchant Max Berger zu Liegnitz.
Liegnitz, March 19 , 1898.
Royal District Court.
Germany 1939 Census:
Source: https://www.mappingthelives.org/bio/164e1ba5-c047-49ac-8096-cb88911863b4
Lange Str. 5/6, Lichterfelde, Steglitz, Berlin (shows 2nd adress: Grabenstr. 12)
Memory Card
Information showing dates of birth and murder, etc., from the Memorial Book "Victims of the Persecution of Jews under the National Socialist Tyranny in Germany 1933 - 1945" maintained in the German archives.
Notes:
Ernst Berger, who died March 26, 1926.
February 12, 1926 (so not even two months before.]
Given what I find on https://muzeumzabrze.pl/leksykony/slownik-zydow-zabrzanskich, I suspect that he first had a store in Zabrze (maybe the store his father ran) and moved it/the family to Lignitz sometime after grandmother was born. [See images above]
May 20, 1931. [See death certificate below.]
As shown below, he was deported from Berlin transport i\27 to Theresienstadt on 21.7.1942. Deported Trans BO 83 to Treblinka on 19.9.1942, where he was murdered that date or soon thereafter.
Dates supposedly match up with the clippings, but they seem askew.
Transport Card
Original Transport card to Terezin .
