Bieberstraße was constructed in 1892. The initial owner of No. 2 Bieberstraße was N.A. Pfennig. In 1922 two rabbis lived here: Dr. M. Lewin, on the groundfloor, and S.J. Rabinow, on the second floor. The head of the Talmud Tora Realschule, Dr. Joseph Carlebach, also lived on the first floor.
At the beginning of the 1920s the Yeshiva Association held numerous events here. The inauguration
ceremony of the Yeshiva was held on 15.06.1921, at No. 46 Grindelhof. The
Thora-Lehranstalt Jeschiwah (Torah Teaching Institute) began its courses with Dr. Carlebach,
Rabbi S.J. Rabinow, Rabbi Arje Leopold Lichtig and Rabbi Behr Resni(c)k Jaffe (also known as Joffe)
as teachers. The Yeshiva was organized into three departments: an upper department for
independent learners who were capable of mastering individual material without assistance, a
middle department for students and mature adolescents who were to learn difficult texts,
and a lower department for schoolboys who were to receive introduction to the Mischa(h)
and easier sections of the Talmud.
Later Rabbi Moses Jacobson, from Gnesen, Poland, taught in the Yeshiva, so that the best
traditions of Talmud study from Germany, Lithuania and Hungary were combined.
Attendance of the Yeshiva was "entirely satisfactory". The number of schoolboys rose from
37 to over 44 in 1922 to 43 in 1923. In 1923 there were 10 foreign students.
Owing to the 1920s economic slump the Yeshiva got into a disasterous situation so that in
1924 it was forced to rely on the Deutsch Israelitischen Gemeinde (German Jewish Association)
to rescue it from extinction. In September 1924 the middle and lower departments alone contained
60 students, who received three hours of lessons daily.
In 1925, a student of the Yeshiva brought Rabbi Rabinow to the attention of the Jewish community as worthy of support. Rabinow, a "genius" of Jewish learning lived at No. 2 Bieberstraße, on the second floor, in a room that was worse than a garret. Rain entered the room and the entire room was damp and unhealthy. It was regrettable that this eminent, outstanding personality was insufficiently well known or esteemed in Hamburg which was perhaps due to his extreme modesty.
In 1926 the Yeshiva expressed the wish either to rent or buy a suitable place of learning to bring together the existing separate places of learning. However, it was not until 1935/36 that the Rabbinical school acquired its own address, i.e. No. 13 Kielortallee. This possibly had to do with the fact that the attendance of the school had declined. The Ostjüdischen Verein "Adas Jeschorim" e.V. (East European Jewish Association "Adas Jeschorim") was closely associated with the Yeshiva due to the large influx of east european Jews and the personal initiative of east european rabbis, in particular Rabbi Rabinow.
The Ostjüdischen Verein "Adas Jeschorim" (East European Jewish Association "Adas Jeschorim") had a synagogue at No. 2 Bieberstraße until 1929. Then the association held services in the synagogue at No. 13 Kielortallee until 1931, and between 1935 and 1937. In the years between 1931 and 1933 the association was accommodated at No. 54 Johnsallee. In 1931 it was renamed Ostjüdische Vereinigung Groß-Hamburg (East European Jewish Union, Greater Hamburg) and formed the Gemeinde der Ostjuden (East European Jewish Community). The community and Yeshiva were affiliated to the Verband der Vereinigten Jüdischen Lernvereine (The Organisation of United Jewish Study Institutes).
Up until the end of the 19th century, while the majority of Jewish girls attended the
Israelitische Töchterschule at No. 35 Carolinenstraße, prosperous Jewish families
sent their daughters to non-Jewish private secondary schools.
This was the reason why the then Chief Rabbi Marcus A. Hirsch founded the orthodox Jewish
girls' private secondary school Israelitishe Höhere Töchterschule (Israelite Girls' Secondary
School) in October 1893. The school was accommodated at No. 4 Bieberstraße. It taught
the curriculum of the state girls' secondary schools and in 1912 was recognized as a
Lyzeum (grammar school) and became called Israelitische Höhere Mädchenschule (Lyzeum).
As with No. 2 Bieberstraße the owner of No. 4 Bieberstraße was N.A. Pfennig. In 1921 the school
owned its own premises.
The girls came from families in which the fathers were businessmen in the import and export trade,
doctors and lawyers. This gave the school its special character. In addition, the teachers regarded
this school as their vocation. The staff formed a closely-knit society in which each supported the
other and looked upon themselves as a large family. Due to the school intake and
commitment of the women teachers, the Education Authority, in its regular
inspections, noted with approval the standard of education achieved.
From the beginning of the 1890s, the Jewish Lernverein "Mekor Chajim" (Study Society "Source of Life") was also accommodated at No. 4 Bieberstraße. The purpose of the society, which was founded in 1862, was to give young people the opportunity to independently become familiar with the Torah. In 1912 the girls' school was forced to inform the Lernverein (study society) that the intake of girl pupils had steadily grown, necessitating more space. In 1914 the society was able to move into a house in the garden of No. 46 Grindelhof, which could accommodate 100 students. In 1939, the society was forced to dissolve.
For a short time a synagogue with places for 250 individuals, known as "Synagoge vor dem
Dammtor" (Synagogue outside the Dammtor), was established at No. 4 Bieberstraße.
The architect was Ernst Friedheim, and the synagogue was dedicated on 3.09.1899.
High windows allowed subdued daylight to penetrate the spacious room, whose walls and ceiling were
decorated in light hues. The holy shrine was made of mahogany with rich gold decoration. Above the
shrine was a round window in front of which was displayed the tablets, in marble, containing the
laws which Moses had received on Mount Sinai. The lighting consisted of numerous bronze wall lights
and chandeliers. Electric ventilators provided for sufficient ventilation. The seating was of a dark
mahogany colour. The synagogue was situated on the ground floor of the building. When the
Synagoge am Bornplatz (Bornplatz Synagogue) was opened the synagogue at No. 4 Bieberstraße
became superfluous. The rooms were restored to their original condition.
In 1906, the Israelitische Höhere Töchterschule that occupied the first floor of the
building additionally occupied the groundfloor. Here were the classrooms for the younger girls. There
were additional classrooms on the first floor and the headmistress's office. There were further
classrooms and a map room on the second floor. The school janitor had his flat in the basement.
A Verein ehemaliger Schülerinnen der Israelitischen Höheren Töchterschule (Society of former
pupils of the Israelite Girls' Secondary School) was formed which regularly held general meetings.
In its 1912 annual report the society again reported on an active programme. Various lectures,
outings, and a social evening had catered for instruction and entertainment. A further education
course in Hebrew was offered. In addition, in 1913 the school was able to donate a larger
sum of money to the society.
In 1914 the following women, among others, were members of the board of the society:
Flora Flörsheim (chairman), Anna Heilbut, Joh. Cohn and Else Joel.
Being a private school it was self financing. Funds were acquired through school fees and private contributions. During the First World War the school got into financial difficulties and applied for a grant of money from the board of the Jewish community. A meeting of the committee of representatives in 1914 established that it was very difficult for the daughters of community members to acquire suitable work without a higher school qualification. Jewish women were unable to acquire a place at a teacher training college without having graduated from a grammar school. The fact that 70% of girls leaving school took up a career demonstrated to the community that it should lend assistance.
In 1987, Frau P., in Tel Aviv, gave the following account of teachers and pupils of the school
at No. 4 Bieberstraße:
Frau P. was employed at the school from April 1923 to October 1924 as a grammar school teacher
of mathematics, physics and chemistry. During her time at the school there were only
non-authoritarian teachers at the school. Fanny Philipp was headmistress and despite her
understanding and sympathy for her "subordinates" displayed absolute authority. She was privately
referred to as "the Philipino".
Dr. Marianne Liebstein taught English and French. She emigrated to Palestine and taught
in a school in Rehovot.
Senta Levy was class teacher for Class 3 and was especially popular with her pupils. The
Levy family's flat in Rothenbaumchaussee was always open to friends, who enjoyed a generous
hospitality. Senta Levy also devoted herself to private social work and regularly visited poor
families in difficulties. Later, she, her husband and young son emigrated to Palestine where she
worked on a kibbutz.
Lea Schlesinger came from an old-established, strictly orthodox Jewish Hamburg family. Her
father was teacher at the Talmud Tora School. Later, she emigrated to Palestine and lived in
Jerusalem.
Flora Rosenbaum was recognized as a outspoken person. Her self confidence was derived from
her orthodox faith. She was deported in 1942.
Rebecka Cohn was known for her irrepressible humour and was amused by her self-given nickname
of "the lesser Cohn", which referred to her unusually small stature. She was also deported.
Eva Kissinger was the aunt of the later American secretary of state Henry Kissinger.
She married Rabbi Marcus Grünberg Berlin. Both were murdered in an extermination camp.
Therese Löwenthal was sensitive both physically and emotionally. This made her easily hurt
and basically unsuited to the teaching profession. She was a Zionist but not religious. She was
deported in 1941.
Due to her good knowledge of Hebrew she was engaged by the Jewish community to organize all Hebrew
language courses. She had an emigration permit to the USA. In the American embassy she was
approached by a Jewish father, with wife and small children, who had been dismissed from his job
and turned out of their flat who asked her for her position on the waiting list. She willingly
agreed thinking she could continue her work. She was deported shortly thereafter.
Alice Löwy taught the first year pupils. She was able to emigrate in time.
Lotte Bachrach taught gymnastics.
There were three part-time teachers:
Eli Rothschild, art teacher, Frau Wenkebach (a non-Jew), handicraft teacher, and
Johannes Harder, music teacher.
The school was distinguished by two exceptional qualities: tolerance and the promotion
of art and literature.
The only conditions of employment of teachers in the school was the obligation not to use public
transport on the Sabbath and to eat kosher outside the home. The promotion of art and literature
reflected the interests of the teachers. The parents and pupils shared this interest. Discipline
at the school was "considerably" worse than at state schools. Particularly at the beginning of
lessons, teachers had to settle the pupils down due to their "Jewish" temperament, and from
having been spoilt by their well-to-do families. After completion of the tenth class
those pupils who wished to continue their education transferred to the Emilie Wüstenfeld
School. Bertha Dittmer, headmistress of the Emilie Wüstenfeld School, was a friend of Fanny Philipp.
Dr. Walter Vontin, a Heinrich Heine researcher, and who was sympathetic to Jews, also worked at
the school. This made for a smooth transfer of pupils to the school. Those pupils who transferred
to the Helene Lange-School did not experience any disadvantage.
Frau P. has retained contact with her former pupils, especially those from the 3rd Class she being the class teacher and for whom, as a young teacher, she was especially fond. She remains friends with, among others, Hanna Glücksmann, a former pupil in her sixth class. Frau Glücksmann is active politically in the Independent Liberal Party. She is secretary of the Israelitish-Deutschen Gesellschaft (Israeli-German Society) and founder and chairman of the "Verein ehemaliger Hambürger, Lübecker und Bremen (Society of former citizens of Hamburg, Lübeck and Bremen) in Israel.
When in Hamburg, in 1926, the former Lyzeen (grammar schools) obtained the title "Mädchen Realschule" the Israelitische Höhere Töchterschule obtained this title and immediately became the Israelitische Mädchen-Realschule and the girl pupils received the remark: "zugleich Zeugnis der Reife für Obersekunda" (certificate also permitting access to the seventh year of secondary school) on their school leaving certificate.
As a result of the economic crisis in the early 1920s, which hit the middle class particularly
hard, the school was no longer able to cover its costs from school fees alone. In 1926 the school
approached the Jewish community for a grant of money. The community demanded a discussion regarding
a possible merger with the community school Carolinenstraße Girl's School. The
community wished to insure that the amalgamated school be orthodox and that the teachers
ascribed, both publically and privately, to Jewish law and ritual. The school committee was of
the opinion that such a commitment was insufficient. Rather should a position be created that
would be entitled to determine what was to be regarded as orthodox. The committee proposed
that the chief rabbi of the Synagogeverband (Synagogue Association) be this authority.
The community also demanded that an agreement be reached regarding children admitted to
the amalgamated school whose mothers did not conduct their lives according to Jewish law and
ritual. These children were also to attend Religious Education classes. The school committee
rejected this proposal. Thereby, the community declared the discussions as having broken
down and stressed that the constitution of the Jewish community regarded these children as
community members so that in a conflict between the community's constitution and Jewish
law and ritual, the constitution had precedence. The liberal majority on the commitee of
representatives, supported by several orthodox votes, declined the grant to the
school. The committee made its report to the board on 15.11.1928 stating that it was
impossible, in a period of economic crisis and in the face of numerous pressing tasks, to
give financal support to a school catering for a particular social class. Parents who
desired such a school must themselves make the self-sacrifice of financing the school.
The meeting of the school committee on 18.12.1928 was forced to resolve to dissolve the school
at the end of the 1828/29 school year. A few days prior to this parents from the Girls' School
Carolinenstraße requested that the children who wished to transfer do so immediately so that
when feasible the pupils could retain their former classes and teachers.
The Bieberstraße school closed in 1931. 190 girl pupils were attending the school at its closure. At its closure the school committee consisted of seven members under the chairmanship of Chief Rabbi Dr. Samuel Spitzer. In addition to Fanny Philipp, 13 teachers remained, among them Dr. Lederer, Dr. Fiebig, K. Rothschild, grammar school teacher, H. Schloß, E. Daßler and N. Eldod.
Later, the following teachers were deported:
| Name | Date of Birth | Place of Birth | Occupation | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eldod, Naphtalie | 3.02.1899 | Höchberg | Grammar School Teacher | No. 55 Ostmarkstraße |
| Loewenthal, Therese | 16.12.1885 | Mühringen | Teacher | No. 1 Husumerstraße |
| Name | Date of Birth | Place of Birth | Occupation | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cohn, Rebekka | 28.06.1881 | Hamburg | Teacher | No. 23 Gridelallee |
| Rosenbaum, Flora | 6.11.1889 | Fürth | Teacher | No. 35 Bundesstraße |
From the 1920s onward the Synagogeverband held religious instruction at No. 4 Bieberstraße. One of its two schools was situated here.
From 1910 to 1923 the Judische Bibliothek und Lesehalle (Jewish Library and Reading Room) was also situated at No. 4 Bieberstraße. Then it was situated at No. 2 Bieberstraße, and finally at No. 6 Beneckestraße.
In 1935 the privately owned No. 2 Bieberstraße was compulsorily auctioned and came
into the ownership of the Waren-Kredit-Gesselschaft des Hamburger Einzelhandels.
In 1935 the Hamurger Sparcasse von 1827 owned No. 4 Bieberstraße. The occupant
was S.-A. Motorstandarte 12 (a motorized unit of the Storm Troopers).
Between 1939 and 1942 the property was owned by the Hansestadt Hamburg. It was
occupied by the History Department and the Department of History and Culture of the Near East of
the Hansischen University. No. 4 Bieberstraße was destroyed by a bomb in 1943.
Today, the former No. 4 has been rebuilt and is numbered No.6 (there is no longer a No. 4), and together with No. 2 comprises the Amalie-Dietrich-Haus, student home. It is named after Amalie Dietrich née Nelle (1823 - 1891), biologist, who had worked in the Hamburg Botanical Museum.