II. Buildings Integral to the Former Life and/or Persecution of Jews in Hamburg - Eimsbüttel/Rotherbaum I.


© Wilhelm Mosel, Deutsch-jüdische Gesellschaft Hamburg.

2. No. 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp.

  • Former Samuel Lewisohn-Stiftung (Housing Trust).
  • Former "Judenhaus" ("Jewish Building").


No. 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp.

The Samuel Lewisohn-Stiftung was founded on 22.10.1890. through a deed of gift, in memory of Samuel Lewisohn, resident of Hamburg, by his sons Leonard, Adolph, Philip and Albert, living in New York.

The house contained 8 subsidized flats that, in 1906, were each occupied by a family. The basement shops, which included flats, were rented. In addition to the subsidized rent, in exceptional cases financial assistance was given, this being practically unique to the inhabitants of this building.

No. 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp, 1982.

The Housing Trust was founded to grant subsidized accommodation to Jewish residents of Hamburg. An unmortgaged, well located site, suitable for the establishment of family flats was to be acquired for this purpose. It was the wish of the benefactors of the trust that the accommodation should exclusively benefit needy families, and particularly those who had once lived in better circumstances. The City of Hamburg had, for years, waived the property tax, however, in 1936 these back payments had to be paid. On 1.04.1937, 106.50 RM property tax was demanded monthly. In 1938, as the low income of the trust was insufficient to meet these payments the trust's board came to the following resolution:
"To meet the costs the board may raise the tenant's contributions by up to RM 4.00 per head, per month."

In 1936, the Hamburg Senat (executive) intervened in the statutes of the trust and in a decree, dated 9.09.1936, ordered that a Paragraph 6 should be added, after which the trust could only make changes to the statutes with the approval of the Deutsch-Israelitische Gemeinde (German Israelite Community). The approval of the provincial government was required before any decision was made regarding the name, location or purpose of the trust, as well as decisions regarding the assets of the trust. Paragraph 6 of the statutes, that was appended on 5.07.1938, was also made in reference to a decision of the Reichsstatthalter (Reich Governor) dated 28.06.1938.

Up until 1938, Leon Kitz had rented a basement shop in the trust building. When he was deported to Poland a caretaker was appointed to see that the shop was unsealed and placed at the disposal of the trust once again, and that back rent was paid.

The last, remaining, agenda of a meeting of the trust is dated 26.02.1940. It refers to a board meeting held at No. 6 Beneckestraße. One of the topics on the agenda, which is not further elucidated, is "Anordnung des Chefs der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD vom 25. Oktober 1939" (Order of the Chief of Gestapo and SD dated 25 October 1939).

In 1942, the trust's assets, which in the meantime had become the property of the "Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland", were compulsorily sold. Prior to this, the address of the housing trust often appears as the last address of individuals in the Gestapo lists of deportees on the deportation transports on 11th, 15th, and 19th July 1942. Nearly all Jews registered by the Gestapo had to be accommodated in one of the few buildings of the Jüdische Religionsverband before April 1942. The former housing trust building at No. 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp became one such "Judenhaus" ("Jewish building"). The conditions were generally very crowded in these "Judenhausen".

The last address in Hamburg of 44 people on the deportation transports to Theresienstadt on 11.07.1942 and 19.07.1942 is registered as No. 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp. An indication of the crowded living conditions is acquired when one sees that on 22.09.1938, 23 people lived here, only one of whom appears on the deportation lists, demonstrating that within almost four years at least 43 new people had moved into the house.

Of the 44 deportees in the year 1942 whose last address was No. 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp the following are representative: (From 1.01.1939 Jews not having a Jewish first name had to assume Sara and Israel respectively when woman or man)

Deportation Transport on 15.07.1942 destination Theresienstadt:

Name Status Date of Birth Place of Birth Occupation Address Nationality
Elias, Hedwig S.Single 17.03.1872 Hamburg Teacher (retired) 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp German
Gowa, Flora S. Single 3.01.1974 Hamburg Teacher (retired) 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp German
Grün, Louise S. Single 31.12.1873 Hamburg Teacher (retired) 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp German

Deportation Transport on 19.07.1942 destination Theresienstadt:

Name Status Date of Birth Place of Birth Occupation Address Nationality
Lübke, Recha Single 6.03.1880 Altona Teacher 32 Kleiner Schäferkamp German
Meiberg, Mamfred I. Single 5.11.1934 Hamburg   32 Kleiner Schäferkamp German
Meiberg, Ruth S. Single 27.05.1932 Hamburg   32 Kleiner Schäferkamp German


German text: Dipl.-Pol. Wilhelm Mosel, Deutsch-Jüdische Gesellschaft, Hamburg.