Julius Veit was born on 17th July 1867, the son of Israel Veit, ‘Handelsmann’, a tradesman living in Emmendingen, working in Freiburg and his wife Fanny. Julius married Katharina Weil on 5.9.1894 in Landau, they lived in Freiburg im Breisach and together they had five surviving children.
Julius’s first job was as a ‘Branntwein Fabrikant’, a maker of schnapps. After witnessing a drunken street fight he decided that he didn't want to work in this industry and so began his life as a business man. He is later described as a ‘Kaufmann’, a salesman and by 1922 he was a ‘Makler’, Estate Agent with his own business.
In 1914 he volunteered, aged 48, for the war. He served in the Badischen Regiment 113 and was decorated with the Badischen Verdienstmedaille and the Iron Cross. In 1906 Julius established the ‘Buergervereinigung’ and was a city councillor until 1918. He owned Kaiserstrasse 124, later renamed Adolf-Hitlerstrasse 252 and was a revered citizen of Freiburg.
In May 1933 Julius feared he would be shut down due to too little business, Veit writes “struggling due to the strong political movement in the last months.” As a prominent, Jewish business of Freiburg, he naturally becomes the immediate target of boycott measures from 1933. On 8th April in "Der Alemanne" - a National Socialist published daily newspaper in the area of Freiburg im Breisgau - his name appears in the Freiburg boycott list.
In a letter to the tax office Freiburg, 12.3.1936, Julius wrote “I am now without means and have had to fight on the edge, in order to muster up what I need as a living for me and my wife”. Julius Veit effectively gives up the business on 8.2.1938. It legally closes on 31.12.1938. It was no longer possible for him to advertise, which is an absolute requirement to succeed in his industry.
Along with his wife Katharina and his eldest daughter Antonie, Julius was deported from Freiburg to Gurs, France on 22nd October 1940. Julius Veit died of enteritis at Gurs on 8th December 1940 and is buried in the Cimetiere Des Deportes at Gurs.
Julius [centre]
Julius [right] with Gotleib Teufel
War Record
Life as a Soldier in the Great War
From the regimental war register (HERE) it is possible to build up a picture of the military career of Julius.
Julius, described as sturdy, pale and 167cm initially served between 1887 and 1890 with 8th company of No. 113 Regiment ("5. Badisches lnfanterie-Regiment No. 113") and wastrained to become a carrier for the wounded. He left the regiment by September 23, 1890 and became a reservist.
As a volunteer he re-joined 113 Regiment on July 31, 1914 and was attached to 11/113 by Sept. 2, 1914. By June 1, 1915, he was promoted to Sanitats-Unteroffizier (NCO), and servedwith Feldlazarett (military hospital), only to be attached to a company by Sept. 7, 1915. He stayed there until Nov. 9, 1915, and he was promoted to lance-corporal by Nov. 1915 andmedical sergeant shortly after; his second identical promotion may
indicate he became a staff sergeant shortly before being withdrawn from front line service.
The register records the fact that he did his job well ("gut" = "good"), and details an agreement with a lieutenant and a sergeant that they will pay him 25 Reichsmark per month (20%)as a pension.
The amendments to his personal details in the regimental war register show that:
Aug 29 - Sept 6, 1915 Julius suffered from furuncle after being hit by gravel and shrapnel. Evidently he was within the trenches and it was his job to collect the wounded from the battlefield, although his age and rank tend to suggest he was more likely a "manager" than still dragging injured buddies behind him. His wound in action indicates he made it over the top, and luckily returned to his dug out. He was transferred to Military Hospital at Bazancourt (not Bessancourt), but shortly after became sick while based at camp Vouziers ("Argonnen").
Julius suffered from sciatica while based at a camp
Feb 9, 1916, suffering from sciatica, kept 1 day in local sick bay close to St. Martin, which used to be in the vicinity of Tahure (Marne). This quaint township was wiped from the map, a fate shared with numerous towns in France, and then transferred to a meeting point for wounded close to Vouziers and transported to Sedan's Military Hospital
Feb 10, 1916. Military Hospital at Sedan, France, sciatica
Feb 13, 1916. Reserve Military Hospital Mayen, Germany, sciatica
Feb 14, 1916. Erholungsheim Tietz (Private Recreation Home Tietz; today Kaufhof Warenhaus AG) at Daun / Eifel, Germany
Feb 19 - May 6, 1916, at recreation home Daun (Germany)
May 7, 1916, detached I Ersatz/113 recovery (recreation) company
We can see the locations of Julius on the attached map (HERE)
We also learn that Julius was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class "for bravery in the face of the enemy" on 10.10.1915
Shooting
Julius Veit was a proficient marksman and was an active member of the Schützengesellschaft Freiburg e.V.
In the period 1904-1931 Julius won many shooting trophies from all over Germany, Switzerland and Austria and was a regular participant in the annual Koenigs-Scheibe. You can see some examples of the ornate targets in the slideshow below. In 1930 as a member of the Verwaltungsrat (management board) he had an engraved chair which would be used in the board meetings. This chair is one of only 2 surviving engraved chairs of this type at the shooting club.