sütterlin and WW I military information

[yan2947]

And a third letter...

[history1]

Some updates from my friends from the Majdanek Memorial in Poland. I asked them to help and this is what they found out, at the moment.
I guess you know this things already (hence some information came from your dad) but it´s for completation:
Meta Salomon:
https://yvng.yadvashem.org/nameDetails. ... 232&ind=10
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/gedenkbuch/de957813
Silvia Salomon:
https://yvng.yadvashem.org/nameDetails. ... 2358&ind=0
https://yvng.yadvashem.org/nameDetails. ... 5151&ind=1
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/gedenkbuch/ ... frmResults

Both got deported to Sobibor on June 11th 1942 from Frankfurt am Main. Later they got declared dead by a German court due to a request of a close relative (your father?).

But strangely Julius Salomon got transported to Majdanek form the same city on the same day:
https://yvng.yadvashem.org/nameDetails. ... 098&ind=20
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/gedenkbuch/de957695
But from the Majdanek archive I got the information that they do not have any information about a man with this name. They have datas from a deportation list from Frankfurt to Majdanek, but the date is June 10th 1942. And what is worse is that the file ends at the letter "K", not only in the printed files but also in microfilm archive Marta checked. She´s sure that the file got ripped appart. The original microfilm (theirs is a copy) is in the archive of the ITS. I guess I need to contact them.
Now came the strange facts. Julius S. got imprisoned allready in November 1938 in Wetzlar prison and sent to Buchenwald from there. Obviously through his WWI service he got free at a certain date, mabye after some weeks/month as it was possible then. But the deposits started only in 1941 as we know from the file??? What happened to them from the time of the first letter until their deportation?
Another information what caught my attention is the information from Poland that there is NO post war correspondence about the fate of the family or Julius in their archive. Nor did anyone ask them about informations via e-mail in recent years. At least not on the PC my friend is working with. But mabye on another computer?

[nichte]

Yan, here are the first two letters. I transcribed them as I read it, so please correct them as needed.
Time allowing, the last letter, and the translations, will follow.
Hiltraut

---------------------------------------------------
Letter p1+ p2

1
Herborn den 7. 2. 39.
Lb. Rosel Max u. Manfred!
Nachdem Euch diese Woche schon einmal geschrieben,
u. gestern Euren lb. Brief erhielten, will denselben
auch gleich wieder beantworten. Vor allem freute es
uns von Euch gottlob gutes zu hören. Auch bei uns
ist Gsd. alles gesund, u. ging es Dein lb. Papa
gottlob auch die Tage erträglich. Eben ist 9 Uhr
abends, u. ist lb. Papa noch auf, obwohl er die Tag
als mal den Morgenkaffee etwas erbrochen hat.
Dann wartet er eine halbe Stunde, und trinkt dann seine
Milch die ihm dann bekommt. Nun will Euch
auch gleich etwas frohes schreiben. Lb. Theo ist am
Freitag Mittag nach Hause gekommen, u. erhielten wir
gestern von ihm selbst eine Karte daß er gesund u.
wohlauf sei. Wir waren alle sehr froh, u. hoffen daß
nun der lb. Ludwig auch bald heim kommt.
Was nun die Stellung des Vorzeigegeldes für
Kuba betrifft, denke daß Ihr nochmals damit
wartet. Denn bei unserer hohen Wartenummer
ist doch sicherlich von Kuba in den ersten Jahren auch
nicht nach U.S.A. zu kommen. Dann den Lift
nach Kuba u. dann vielleicht Uruguay zu trans-
portieren ist wohl auch schwer durchführbar,
schon wegen der Kosten von dort nach Südamerika.
Die Bürgschaft für uns oder die Eltern heraus-
zuschicken, was doch sicherlich auch mit Kosten
verbunden, halte vorerst nicht für nötig, da
dieselbe doch sicherlich in einer bestimmten Frist verfällt.

2.
Wie Euch kürzlich schon erwähnte, hatten Weilers
von ihrem Onkel (L. Mindus-Cassilla 1660.
Santiago de Chile) geschrieben ob er
etwas für uns tun könnte. Postwendend kam
gestern die Nachricht wir sollten ihm sofort
unsere Geburtsdatums angeben, was ich heute
getan habe. Notiert Euch mal dessen Adr. ohne
aber mit demselben vorerst in Verbindung zu
treten. Es ist ja aber auch das Erdbeben nicht
gerade ermutigend, doch soll dasselben meistens
in einer bestimmten Gegend auftreten. Desgl.
besteht die Möglichkeit bei einem Visum nach Chile
oder Bol. vielleicht doch in Mont. landen zu können.
Im Übrigen soll es in Chile sehr gut sein, u. gehen
Viele hin. Liebermann, habe Deine Bemühungen
für sie, u. Grüße mitgeteilt u. bemüht sich noch
jemand inzwischen um Bürgschaft. Doch glaube ich
daß dieselben auch eine hohe Wartenummer haben
u. sich auch nach England u.s.w. schon gewandt
haben. Wegen dem lb. Papa haben wir weiteres noch
nicht unternommen, indem wir auch abwarten.
Zur Zeit wird wieder ein neues Heim das 3.
schon errichtet, u. ist der Andrang dafür immer noch
sehr groß. Dann sprach in Frankfurt mit dem Ver-
trauensarzt vom …..verband über lb. Papa.

Liebe Rosel Max und Manfred sende Euch viele Grüße und Küsse
und viele Grüße an alle Lieben. Lb. Rosel ich gratuliere Dir auch zum Geburtstag
Euer Vater.

---------------------------------------------------

Letter 2p1 and 2p2

Reiskirchen, 29. März 39
Meine Lieben. Hoffentlich seid Ihr noch gesund, ein
Gleiches ich auch von uns berichten kann. Denke,
daß Ihr immer von unseren l. Kindern von unserem
Tun u. Treiben unterrichtet seid. Zu dem schweren
Verlusten, dem Heimgang Deines l. Vaters l. Rosel,
sage Dir mein herzlichstes Beileid. Der Allmächtige
gütige Gott hat ihn nach seinem schweren langen
Leiden in ein besseres Jenseits abgerufen
wo ewige Ruhe u. Frieden herrscht. Es ist ge-
wiß schwer, von seinen Lieben für immer
getrennt zu sein u. doch ist es ein Trost für
Euch Alle, den guten …, ein Beliebt-
heit bei jederman, das hat die große
Beteiligung am Tage seiner Beerdigung
bewiesen, was er Euch u. Allen war.
Sonst ist es in H. wie überall, die Zwillinge
sind zwei Prachtkerlchen, sie sprechen u. erzählten
mir von dem l. Manfred, wie Erwachsene v.
Ihren Lieben, die in der Ferne weilen, sprechen.
Hörte dort, daß auch Max außer Arbeit wäre,
hoffentlich hast Du wieder inzwischen was ge-
funden. Es ist schwer für uns Männer, dort
unterzukommen, aber die Sehnsucht nach Euch
u. alle Lieben, die stellt hier alles andere in
den Hintergrund. Seid meiner aufrichtigsten
Teilnahme versichert u. bleibt mit vielen
Grüßen u. Küssen, besonders an meinen l.
Manfred Eure Euch stets liebender
Berthold

------

Meine Lieben, vorige Woche als an l. Minna schrieb, bestellte Grüße
an Euch u. ließ sagen, daß Euch bald schreiben würde, ich dachte
dabei, dies an Chalmod zu tun, doch leider muß ich es jetzt
tun, ich habe es wirklich gespürt, dachte vorige Woche so viel an
Deinen l. Vater sel. l. Rosel, u. Donnerstag sagte ich zu Berthold
schreibe doch mal eine Karte nach Herborn, ich habe gar keine
Ruhe, aber l. Berthold ist so schreibfaul u. ich habe dann alle Hände
voll zu tun, u. hatte ich mir aber vorgenommen Samstag mal
hin zu schreiben, da kam Freitag Morgen d. Trauerbotschaft.
Ich kann gut mit Dir fühlen l. Rosel wenn auch wie hier der
Tod eine Erlösung war u. man vorbereitet war, so ist
der Schmerz für ein Kind immer derselbe, u. wenn man
auch noch in so weiter Ferne solche Nachricht erhält, getrennt
von seinen Liebsten, so ist es doppelt schwer, aber l. Rosel du
mußt stark sein, alles Jammern hilft nichts, in diesen
Zeiten muß man jedem der diesen irdischen Kampf ausge-
kämpft u. auch noch wie Dein l. Vater sel. solch schweres Leiden
hatte, die ewige Ruhe u. Frieden gönnen, u. Dir mag das
Bewußtsein, Deine Kindespflichten im vollsten Maße so lange
es Dir hier möglich war, erfüllt zu haben, ein Trost sein, u. die
alles heilende Zeit wird auch diese Wunde bei Dir vernarben
lassen. Der l. Gott möge Euch gesund lassen u. Euch vor allem
ferneren Leid bewahren. - L. Berthold kann gar nicht genug
von den l. Kindern in Herborn erzählen, müssen ja Staatskinder
sein unberufen. L. Manfred würde so gut aussehen schrieb l. Minna
neulich, das freut mich sehr zu hören, denkt er auch noch unser
wollte mir doch die Bürgschaft schicken? L. Max hoffentlich fin-
dest Du bald wieder einen anderen Job, man hört allgemein, daß es sehr
schwer sein soll. Aber es kann uns alles nicht abhalten, wir wollen
doch nach U.S.A. Seit einigen Tagen geht d. Sage es gäbe Er-
leichterungen f. U.S.A., d. …. .Rosenberg … u. … hätten
es Euch erzählt, sagt l. Berthold, man ist schon so oft enttäuscht worden
daß man garnicht mehr recht zu hoffen wagt. Was es sonst hier gibt
werden Euch d. Kinder erzählen. Heute Morgen kam ein Brief von S…
vom 20., eben geht d. Post wieder regelmäßiger, trotz d. Schweren Zeit ver=
geht sie rasch, Sonntag s.G.w. werden l. Opa u. Rosel zu Besuch kom-
men über d. Feiertage. Können wir uns doch auf etwas freuen.
L. Rosel ist vorige Woche aus d. Schule entlassen worden, was es jetzt …
ihr gibt weiß ich noch nicht, selbstverständlich geht sie wieder nach Frkft.
Bleibt gesund m. Lieben, … herzliche Grüße u. Küsse v. Eurer Hedwig.

----------------------------------------------------

[yan2947]

Thank you both for the amazing effort. My dad is stuck in Idaho, awaiting a flight now on Saturday... He remembers when his father, Julius returned from Buchenwald. They got out some nice bowls and had soup in celebration. It is one of those last memories my father has of Herborn and his parents and sister. This must be the last photo they took together right before my father was sent to England.

[nichte]

Yan, here is what I read of the third one, Letter 3p1 and 3p2.
Again, please correct as needed.
Hiltraut
------------------

Meine Lieben!
Am Samstag Morgen erhielten wir die beiden
Karten, u. den Brief zusammen. Wir freuen uns
gottlob daraus Euer Wohlergehen zu entnehmen. Gsd.
kann dasselbe auch von uns berichten. Von Tante
Recha hatten wir auch Post. Sie schreiben sehr zufrieden.
Haben alle Arbeit u. verdienen schön Geld. Haben auch
noch einige Herren zum Essen. Tante Recha bat
mich um Euere Adr. welche ich derselben mitgeteilt
habe. Was Sie damit will weiß ich nicht, oder glaubt
Sie vielleicht für uns etwas mit Palästina an-
zufangen. Deren Adr. ist Emil Reinberg
Rischon le Zion. Palästina. Sie werden Euch
sicherlich mal schreiben. (13.7.) Hatte den Brief vorg.
angefangen, u. wollte warten bis wir von der
guten Ankunft des lb. Lothar gehört hatten.
Inzwischen erhielten noch Deinen Brief lb. Rosel
von 4./7. wofür dir recht herzl. danke. Auch wir
freuen uns ja auch so sehr, über jede gute
Nachricht von Euch. Eben erhielten wir einen
Brief in Deutsch geschrieben, und ist Herr
Schwartz ein Rabbiner. Er schreibt daß lb. Lothar
vorigen Freitag gut angekommen, und ein
lieber braver fromm erzogener Junge wäre
worüber sie sich sehr freuen würden.
Wir hatten die Tage sehnsüchtig auf Nachricht
gewartet, doch war der Koffer mit einliegender
Adr. etwas später angekommen. Werde
nachher der Familie ausführlich schreiben.
Vielleicht macht s.g.w. lb. Lothar für uns alles den Weg




dorthin frei, wie einst Josef in Egypten. Denn
einer muß immer vorausgehen. Lb. Arthur schreibt
gestern, das der Frankfurter Konsul die Tage zu
uns kommen würde. Ob es wahr wird?
Da der Brief noch fort, so sende Euch für heute nur
noch viele herzl. Grüße u. Küsse Euer Julius.

Meine Lieben!
Nun endlich haben wir mal eine Nachricht über
den lb. Bub. Die 8 Tage wo wir darauf gewartet haben
ist uns wie eine Ewigkeit vorgekommen. Hoffentlich
bekommt er kein Heimweh. Es ist ja gut, daß die
Leute etwas deutsch können, sodaß man ihn doch
verstehen kann. Am Sonntag war ich mit der lb.
Silvia u. Betty in Wetzlar. Die freuen sich auch, wenn
man mal kommt. Lb. Selma ist noch in Nürnberg.
Hätte auch gerne die Kinder weg. Haben sich auch
schon wegen England bemüht. Ist ja übel dran
wo sie so alleine dasteht. Nun will für heute
schließen da der Brief weg soll. Sende Euch noch
recht herzl. Grüße u. Küsse Eure
Meta.
Heute will nur meinen Lieben die herzlichsten Grüße u. Küsse
senden. Die Lieben haben so alles geschrieben Eure Oma Julche.
Auch nimmt vom lb. Oppa Die herzlichsten Grüße entgegen. Ist augenblicklich
nicht da.

[nichte]

Yan, here is my translation, please correct if I misunderstood certain names, places or details.
Hiltraut
-------------------------------


Letter p1 + p2

Herborn, 7. February 1939

Dear Rosel, Max and Manfred!
Since I already wrote to you this week,
and received your dear letter yesterday, I want
to reply to it right away. We are especially glad
to hear all is good with you, thank God!
At our place all are healthy as well, thank God!
And your dear Papa was feeling passable these days as well, thank God!
Right now it is 9 pm, and dear Papa is still up, although he threw up his
morning coffee occasionally these days.
Then he waits half an hour, and then he drinks his
milk, which agrees with him then.
Now I want to write something joyful to you right away.
Dear Theo came home Friday noon, and yesterday we received a card from himself,
that he was healthy and well.
We all were very glad and hope, that
now dear Ludwig will come home also.
Regarding the situation of the Vorzeigegeldes for Kuba, I think
I want you you to wait with that again.
Because of our high waiting number, one probably will not get to the U.S.A. from Kuba in
the first couple of years.
Then the lift to Kuba and then perhaps the transportation to Uruguay
is probably hard to accomplish, especially because of the
expenses from there to South America.
To send the sponsorship for us or the parents ahead,
which most likely entails expenses as well, I don’t see necessary as yet,
as it will doubtless expire within a certain time.


As I already mentioned recently, the Weiler’s wrote about their uncle,
(L. Mindus-Cassilla 1660.Santiago de Chile)
whether he could do anything for us.
Immediately a message arrived yesterday, that we were to send him
our birth dates right away, which I did today.
Write down his address, but without getting in touch with same yet.
Also, the earthquake is not exactly encouraging, but it is supposed
to happen within a certain area most of the times.
Odds are, that with a visa to Chile or Bol. a landing in Mont. is perhaps still possible.
By the way, in Chile it is supposed to be very nice, and
many go there. Liebermann, informed them of your efforts and greetings.
In the meantime, somebody else is attempting to help with the sponsorship.
But I believe that they have a high waiting number as well, and
they also applied for England already, etc.
As for dear Papa, we did not attempt anything further, while we are wait and see.
Currently, a new Home, the third by now, is being established,
and there are still way too many people trying to get in.
In Frankfurt I talked to the independent medical examiner from …. about dear Papa.

Dear Rose, Max and Manfred,
I am sending you many greetings and kisses
and many greetings to all dear ones. Dear Rosel, happy birthday to you.
Your father.

[nichte]

Yan, here are letters 2p1+2p2, translated. Again, please correct the words as needed.
Hiltraut
-----------------


Letter 2p1


Reiskirchen, 29. March 39

My dear ones. I hope you still are healthy, and
the same I can report about us. I think
that you are always informed by our dear children about
what’s going on around here. I send you my most heartfelt
sympathy to the heavy loss of your dear father, dear Rosel.
The gracious Almighty God called him after his long hard
ailment to a better beyond.
where eternal calm and piece reign.
I certainly is hard, to be separated from ones love-ones,
but it still is a consolation for all of you, the good ….,
liked by everyone, which the large participation
on the day of his funeral proved, what he was to you and all of them.
Otherwise, it is in H. like everywhere.
The twins are two fine little specimen,
they talked and told me
about dear Manfred, like grownups would talk about their loved-ones,
who live in faraway places.
I heard there, that Max also has no work,
hope that you found something meanwhile.
It is hard for us men, to find something,
but the longing for you
and all loved-ones puts here everything else
in the background.
Be assured of my sincere sympathy .
Lots of greetings and kisses,
especially to my dear Manfred,
your ever-loving
Berthold


———————


Letter 2p2

My dear ones,
last week, when I wrote to dear Minna, I sent greetings
to you and send word that I would write soon.
I thought to myself to do it on Chalmod, but sad to say
I have to do it now. I really sensed it, thought so much
of your dear father, dear Rosel. And Thursday I told Berthold
to write a card to Herborn, as I was getting so anxious about it.
But dear Berthold is so lazy about writing, and I had my hands full,
but I had intended to write on Saturday.
Then Friday morning the sad news came.
I can sympatise so well with you, dear Rosel, even
if the death was a salvation and one was prepared,
but the pain for a child is always the same, and when one
received the news from far away, separated from their loved-ones, it is double as hard.
But dear Rosel, you have to be strong, all the
wailing does not help. In these times one must grant
the eternal calm and piece to everyone, who fought this
worldly struggle, especially your late father, who had such hard ailments.
And the awareness, that you fulfilled your filial duties exceedingly,
as long as it was possible here, may be a comfort to you.
And the all-healing time will scar over this wound.
May the dear God let you stay healthy and safeguard you
against any further sorrow.
Dear Berthold cannot talk enough about the dear children in Herborn, must
be stately children, my word. Dear Manfred would look so good, wrote dear Minna
recently, I am glad to hear that. Is he still remembering us,
he wanted to send me the sponsorship yet.
Dear Max, I hope you will find another job soon,
one hears in general that it shall be very hard. But this cannot stop us,
after all we want to go to the U.S.A. Since a couple of days the story
goes around that there would be reliefs about U.S.A. ……Rosenberg …. and…
had told you, dear Berthold said. One has been disappointed so many times
that one does not even dare to hope anymore.
Everything else what happens around here the children will tell you about.
Today in the morning a letter arrived from S….
from the 20th, the postal service is more regular again.
In spite of the hard times, times goes fast, Sunday, God willing,
dear Opa and Rosel will come to visit through the holidays. So we can look forward to something.
Dear Rosel graduated from school last week, I don’t know what will happen with her now.
Of course she will go back to Frankfurt.
Stay health my dear ones, …
warm greetings and kisses from your Hedwig.

[nichte]

Yan, this should be the last letter translated. Letter 3p1 and 3p2. You might have to alter and correct certain phrases, names and words as needed.
Hiltraut
----------------------

Letter 3p1 and 3p2

My dear ones!
On Saturday morning we received both
cards and the letter together. We were happy to infer
thank God about your wellbeing.
Thanks God I can report the same about us. We
also received mail from aunt Recha. They are
writing very satisfied.
They all have work and make good money. Have even
some Gentlemen for dinner. Aunt Recha asked
me for your address, which I wrote to same.
I don’t know what she wants to do with it, but perhaps she thinks that
she might start something for us with Palästina.
Their address is Emil Reinberg
Rischon le Zion. Palästina. They most likely
will write to you.
(13.7.) Started the letter two days ago and wanted to wait
until we had heard about the good arrival of dear Lothar.
Meanwhile we received your letter dear Rosel
from 4. July, which I thank you for very much.
We, too, are very glad for every good news from you. We just
received a letter written in German, and Herr Schwartz is a Rabbi.
He writes that dear Lothar arrived good last Friday, and that
he was a good, dear, devout reared boy,
about which they were very happy.
We had waited for news from him longingly these days,
but the suitcase with inclosed address had be arrived a bit later.
I will write to the family later in detail.
Perhaps, God willing, dear Lothar is clearing the way there for all of us
like Josef in Egypten once. Because one
always has to go ahead. Dear Arthur wrote
yesterday, that the consul from Frankfurt would come one of these days to us.
Will it come true?
The letter needs to go, so I send you for today
just many warm greetings and kisses
Your Julius.



My dear ones!
Now finally we have some news about
the dear boy.
The 8 days which we were waiting for it seemed like
eternity. Hopefully, he does not get homesick.
It is good that the people know a bit German, so that he can be understood.
On Sunday I was with dear Silvia and Betty in Wetzlar. They are happy wenn
one comes to visit. Dear Selma is still in Nürnberg.
She also would like to get the children out. They
already tried England. She is in a bad situation so all alone.
Now I will close for today, because the letter needs to go.
I send you many warm greetings and kisses,
your Meta.

Today I just want to send warmest greetings and kisses to my loved ones.
The dear ones already wrote everything to you.
Your Oma Julche.
Also accept warmest greetings from dear Oppa. He is not here presently.

[history1]

Yan, here are the first two letters. I transcribed them as I read it, so please correct them as needed.
Time allowing, the last letter, and the translations, will follow.
Hiltraut

---------------------------------------------------
Letter p1+ p2

1
Herborn den 7. 2. 39.
Lb. Rosel Max u. Manfred!
[...] Vor allem freute es
uns von Euch gottlob gutes zu hören. Auch bei uns
ist Gsd. alles gesund, u. ging es Dein lb. Papa
gottlob auch die Tage erträglich. [...]

Hiltraut is of course right that the word should be "gottlob = thank godness". Though I think it´s important to point out that the term reads "gttlob" because religous/strong religious Jews do not speak out the name of God, AFAIK.

[lotsalomon]

Hi Hiltraut and Roman, I'm former Lothar (now Laurence) Salomon, Julius and Meta's son and Yan's father. Just returned from Idaho visiting my other son, Hopi, and his family. Appreciate what you have been able to accomplish for us.

[nichte]

You're welcome, Laurence! Thank you for your kind words! To read the letters was very emotional. I just hope that I found the right words to translate it into English.
I cannot imagine what your family must have endured. And I can only begin to imagine what those letters now mean to you and your family!
Hiltraut

[history1]

Hello Laurence, thanks for your loud, I do what I can for you. Though I´m only a little cog in this history, which you are thankfully sharing with us.

Viele Grüße,
Roman

[RonV]

Dear Yan,

I hope you and your family are well. I'm sure you recall meeting me at the unveiling of the Herborn memorial. I think I can help with one of your letters: My mother's paternal grandfather was Meier Levi and he is the fellow mentioned in your grandfather's letter. Meier was born in Katzenfurt, where the Levi family lived for generations. Phillip Levy, born in Troisdorf, was the husband of Meier's sister Emilie (so she was Emilie Levi Levy). They lived in Katzenfurt until deported in 1942. They both died in Thereisenstadt.
Ironically, I can also provide information on Ludwig Hirsch. The Levi's and the Hirsch's have an intertwined history. It all starts with the original Meier Levi (we'll call him Meier Levi I), born around 1785, who lived in Katzenfurt. He had a son, Joseph Levi (b. 1828) who was the father of Meier Levi II (b. 1872), my great grandfather. (Meier II moved to Herborn in the 1890's.) Meier Levi I also had a daughter, Sara (b. 1812) and she married Hirsch Jessel Hirsch in Katzenfurt in the 1830's. Hirsch Jessel Hirsch and Sara Levi had a son, Mendel Hirsch (b. 1843) who moved to Herborn, where he had a son, Sigmund (b. 1874). Sigmund moved to Haiger in 1887 where he had a daughter, Selma (b. 1904). Selma Hirsch married the son of Meier Levi II, Fritz Levi (b. 1905), and had a daughter, my mom. (Fritz and Selma were 2nd cousins, once removed.) So twice a Levi married a Hirsch (actually 3 times since Fritz's brother also married Selma's sister!). Meier Levi, his wife (Bertha Dannheisser Levi) and daughter-in-law, Selma Hirsch Levi, are on the Herborn memorial. Meier was sent to Thereisenstadt in 1942 and then Auschwitz in May, 1944. Selma was on the same train (with her sister, Berth Hirsch Rosenberg, who is also on the memeorial) that your aunt and grandparents were on, arriving at Sobibor June 13-14, 1942.
Anyway, Hirsch Jessel Hirsch and Sara Levi had another son: Levi Hirsch (b. 1840). He remained in Katzenfurt (he fought in the Franco-Prussian war and was wounded at Sedan). He had a son, Hermann (b.1878). Hermann had 2 sons in Katzenfurt, Siegfried (b. 1906) and Ludwig (Levi) Hirsch (b. 1909), from your letter. The parents died in the Holocaust but both Siegfried and Ludwig made it out of Germany and eventually to the USA. Siegfried died in 1990; Ludwig in 1961.

So, there you have it, Yan. Please give my regards to you father.

Sincerely,

Ron

By the way, I recently found my way into the German archives, where I found a lot of birth/marriage/death info on my family. There was info on the Salomon and Stern families, likely your family. I also just noticed that the name Stern comes up in my Levi family tree twice, one of which is Amelia Stern, Ludwig Hirsch's grandmother (Levi Hirsch's wife). So, it looks like you grandfather and Ludwig Hirsch were probably cousins. It also looks like we're probably related through marriage!

In case you haven't been here, you should check this out:

https://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects ... ?q=herborn.

From there, you can navigate to other communities. Good luck and let me know if you find info on your family.