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II. Buildings Integral to the Former Life and/or Persecution of Jews in Hamburg - Eimsbüttel/Rotherbaum I.© Wilhelm Mosel, Deutsch-jüdische Gesellschaft Hamburg. 12. Martin-Luther-King-Platz.
In 1880, a circa 1,500 m² site adjacent the former Volksschule (elementary school), in the north-eastern part of Papendamm, was purchased by the Deutsch-Israelitische Gemeinde (German Israelite Community) for the purpose of constructing a new building to house the Hamburgische Deutsch-Israelitische Waisen-Institut (Hamburg German Israelite Orphanage). The Knaben-Waisenhaus (Boys' Orphanage) was formerly situated at No. 4 zweite Marktstraße. This building had become dilapidated and inadequate for its function. The architect was Seelig, and the building was completed in September 1883.
C. Z. Klötzel, a former ophanage boy, described the orphanage so:
The task of the orphanage was to give the boys a religious upbringing in accordance with the principles of Judaism, and to equip them physically and mentally for their future lives. The orphanage provided accommodation, clothing, board and medical care. The boys attended the Talmud-Tora-Realschule (Talmud Torah School). The boys generally remained in the orphanage until the completion of their compulsory school attendance. Each boy, on leaving the orphanage, received a "certificate of good conduct" and an appropriate provision of clothing and underwear.
The staff of the orphanage were responsible for the upbringing and care of the boys under the
supervision, and in accordance with the regulations of the management. Suitable individuals were
always found to fill the position of Waisenvater (orphanage father). Emanuel Bodenheimer
occupied this position until 1891, Samuel Plocki from 1891 to 1914, Eduard Schloß
from 1914 to 1920, and Raphael Plaut from 1920 to 1940.
The state of health in the orphanage was always excellent, and the inhabitants were totally spared
from the cholera epidemic of 1892. Professor Dr. Siegfried Korach, was for decades responsible
for medical care in the orphanage. According to the orphanage records for the year
1928 there were 23 boys in the orphanage, of whom 21 were attending the Talmud
Torah School. The woman
director of the Segeberg holiday home, where the boys had again spent their summer holiday,
had praised their considerate behaviour and placed them in most of the so-called positions of
responsibility. The Paulinenstift (Paulinen Trust) responded by inviting the boys to their
Purim celebration (14th Adar). A reference to the orphanage school leavers by the 1926, Max M.
Warburg founded Verein zur Versorgung schulentlassener Zöglinge (Society for the Care of
School Leavers) states: "The apprentices are loyal and neglect no opportunity to express their
gratitude to the orphanage. In the evenings after work they visit the orphanage to spend a few
pleasant hours of joyful play with the boys (...) They come with their good news, but also with
their small worries, and large plans. We advise them and endeavour to fulfil their legitimate
requests. They are invited to share the festive meals on all special occasions."
It was also reported that some boys had attended the synagogue services during the High Holidays
(Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) either in Ahrensburg or Bad Segeberg.
An artical in a Jewish newspaper in
The orphanage had a synagogue. Moritz Hermann and Moses Strauss were among
those who occupied the position of prayer leader.
The synagogue was not destroyed on the "Reichskristallnacht" (Pogrom Night) of 9th/10th November 1938.
It had seating for 62 men and 50 women.
A communication from Max Plaut, dated 5.07.1939,
who was from December 1938 onward the sole representative of the Jüdische Religionsverband (Jewish
Religious Federation), appointed his father, the orphanage "father" Raphael Plaut, to
accommpany the Kindertransport departing to England with the steamer Manhatten
from the port of Hamburg on 11.07.1939. Raphael Plaut had to return to his position in Hamburg
on completing his task. The Manhatten was a turbine engine ship of the United States Line, New York;
passengers: 582 cabin class, 461 tourist class, 196 3rd class; launched: 5.12.1931; maiden voyage:
11.08.1931 from New York to Hamburg; scrapped: 1965.
The children on this Kindertransport were the children of the Polish Jews who had been forcibly
deported to Poland at the end of October 1938. Other Kindertransports to England had previously
occured in December 1938 and March 1939, on these ocassioned accommpanied by Arthur Spier.
These Kindertransports took place with the approval of the Gestapo, the escort acting under
instruction from the latter and being required to return to Hamburg, having accompanied the children.
The orphanage "father" Raphael Plaut died on 15.04.1940, shortly after having accompanied
the Kindertransport which departed on 11.07.1939. Today two of his children live in Israel and one
in England. A nephew of the orphanage "father" Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut, was, in 1983, president
of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the conference of the liberal American rabbis.
He had often visited his uncle in the orphanage at No. 3 Papendamm. Julius Gottschalk succeeded
Raphael Plaut as orphanage "father" in 1940. The Waisen-Institut had to change its name to
Jüdisches Knaben-Waisenhaus, and finally to Jüdisches Waisenhaus.
The Waisen-Institut was for a short time the last building used by the Jüdische Schule in
Hamburg (Jewish School in Hamburg). When on 15.05.1942 the keys to No. 35 Carolinenstraße,
Israelitische Tochterschule (Israelite Secondary School for Girls), were handed over to the
Hamburg School Authority the remaining Jewish school children and teachers found refuge at
No. 3 Papendamm. The building was not really suitable to function as a school. Apart from the head
teacher Dr. Alberto Jonas and his deputy Jacob Katzenstein, there were only five other
teachers. The classes had already been merged in December 1941. Dr. Walter Bacher taught
the Unterprima
(8th year of former Gymnasium = lower sixth of the grammar school), Sekunda (sixth and seventh years),
and Oberteria (fifth year). The Unterteria (fourth year) and Quarta (third year) were combined with
the 7th and 8th Volksschule (secondary school) classes under Arthur Toczek.
Lilli Freimann taught the Sexta (fourth year) and Quinta (second year) together with the
5th and 6th Volksschule classes. She was, in addition, responsible for a small group of pupils with
learning difficulties. Flora Rosenbaum taught the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Grundschule (primary school)
classes. Rebecka Cohn had the care of the 1st primary school class of 7 children.
When on 30.06.1942 the school had to close, as did all other Jewish schools in Germany,
76 school children received a leaving report. Shortly thereafter, on 11.07.1942, 15.07.1942
and 19.07.1942, many of these pupils and nearly all the teachers of this last Jewish school in
Hamburg, were deported. Jacob Katzenstein, being a Danish national was able to return
to Denmark in 1943.
All the following names that appear on the Gestapo deportation transport lists below were
murdered:
The Ist year teacher Rebecka Cohn was deported to Auschwitz, with three of the children
from her class, only eleven days after having written reports for the children. The three children
were Hannelore Baum, Ingeborg Feldheim and Regine Jacobsen. Rebecka Cohn
wrote in Regine Jacobsen's school report that she was a very bright child, who participated
in lessons with great interest. She was "very good" in reading. She calculated with speed and
accuracy, She wrote "good" dictation. Her Hebrew was "especially good". She was "gifted" musically.
She had reached the required standard.
On 19.07.1942 the remaining children from her class were deported to Theresienstadt:
Daniel Cohen, Manfred Meirberg and Ellen and Ruth Meyer. Ruth Meyer
was the daughter of the last school caretaker Julius Meyer, who was deported on the same
transport. Ruth Meyer and Daniel Cohen were also "gifted" musically. Ruth was naratively "good"
and loved stories from the Bible. Daniel was "especially good" at arithmetic.
11 of the deported children of the last Jewish school in Hamburg, 7 boys and 4 girls,
survived and were able to return to Hamburg. Also some of the children from "Mischehen"
("mixed marriages") survived, the majority not having been deported.
Only 4 of the children of the last Jewish school in Hamburg also resided in the orphanage at
No. 3 Papendamm. These were Ingeborg Feldheim, Gerda Polak, and Mirjam and
Regina Rothschild, who were presumably sisters.
A further 11 children were deported on 11.07.1942 to Auschwitz, and 3 children
deported on 19.07.1942 to Theresienstadt whose last address was registered as being No. 3
Papendamm.
These children are not registered as being pupils of the last Jewish school in Hamburg, which was
accommodated at No. 3 Papendamm, although in 1941 only 7 of these children had past school leaving
age.
At least 9 adults lived in the building at No. 3 Papendamm until 11.07.1942, when
they were deported either on 11.07.1942 or 19.07.1942. Apart from school hours, the building was
not overcrowded when comparing the total number of inhabitants in 1942 with the presumed number in
1928, of whom 23 were children. Nevertheless, No. 3 Papendamm was a "Judenhaus" ("Jewish Building").
The address of the following deportees, not already cited above, is registered on the Gestapo
deportation lists of 11.07.1942 and 19.07.1942 as No. 3 Papendamm:
At the end of 1942, the orphanage building, but not the land, was compulsorily sold
to the "Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland" ("Reich Organization of Jews in
Germany"), as were all the buildings or properties of the former Jüdischen Religionsverband.
The orphanage was destroyed during the terrible air raids between 25.07.1943 and 3.08.1943.
After the war the site of the former orphanage was occupied by a coal depot.
Today, nothing remains of the former orphanage. The entrance to an underground garage, which
extends beneath the neighbouring property to Grindelallee, occupies most of the site. This former
section of Papendamm is today named Martin-Luther-King-Platz, and the Chemistry Faculty and
Zoological Institute and Museum of the University of Hamburg are situated here.
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