The Family of Heinrich and Laura Teitelbaum

Heinrich Teitelbaum was born on 17.04.1890 in Obljassy (Poland), son of Jankel Itzek Teitelbaum and his wife Feige Mandelbaum.
On 16.03.1913 Heinrich Teitelbaum married Laura Menaszes, the daughter of Wolf and Rachel Lisel Menaszes. Laura, (often written Lara) had been born on 22.01.1895 in Vienna.
The couple had two children:
Alfred Teitelbaum | * 05.12.1913 in Vienna |
Alfred Teitelbaum was a butcher and registered his domicile in Munich on 01.04.1934 |
Max Teitelbaum | * 13.02.1918 in Gunzenhausen | Max Teitelbaum was a car mechanic and also moved to Munich, on 10.08.1935. |
Heinrich Teitelbaum was a hat maker. In 1920 he opened his own cap and hat shop at Gerberstrasse 11.
As of 1928 they rented rooms from the Rosenfelder family at Marktplatz 48. This address was changed to Adolf-Hitler-Platz 48 as of 1933. In the files of the “Spruchkammer” (de-nazifying process) we found the testimony of Max Teitelbaum regarding the “Bloody Palm Sunday” events of 25th March 1934:
T e i t e l b a u m Max , bachelor, car mechanic
Gunzenhausen, Adolf-Hitler-Platz 48
Questioned on the matter, he testified:
I was living with my mother in the house of Sigmund Rosenfelder. On the 25th March 1934 around 13.00 h Kurt Bär, who I knew personally, came to the front of the house where we had our flat and opened the house door. As he did this he shouted out to the daughter Fränzi Rosenfelder and said to her she should get her father. When he arrived, Bär said: "We’re eating and drinking schnaps and stringing up the Jews."
Then he left. I didn’t actually see Bär but I heard him precisely and recognized him.
I don’t know if he was in uniform or not.
On the afternoon in question I didn’t leave the house and my mother and I went to bed around 19.30 h. At about 22.00 h I heard several people shouting, which woke me from my sleep. They were calling: "Out with the Jews, out with Rosenfelder."
I got out of bed, as did my mother. Our flat was on the ground floor and I could see through the window, as the crowd had pulled off one of the shutters, that about 80 people were outside, who didn’t stop shouting and screaming. I got dressed and my mother wanted to send me to the police station, which I refused as it would have been hopeless. In the meantime people had come in through the back door which wasn’t locked and had gone up to the Rosenfelder flat on the first floor. But Rosenfelder wasn’t there and the crowd came down again. They went through the inside to the front door, which was locked, forced it open – I don’t know what they used to do that – and let in the people who were standing in front of the house. There were Hermann, the baker’s son, Bertelshofer, bricklayer’s mate, Senft, tailor’s assistant, Schneider from Ansbacher Strasse, Ganser from the spice shop, Bertold, gardener’s assistant. I didn’t see whether these people pushed their way in through the backdoor, and I don’t know who forced the front door. Some three of these people I have named were in SA uniform. I didn’t see if anybody was there from the Arbeitsdienst (office of labor). Bertelshofer was the ringleader of the men who came to our kitchen door, he was at the front and shouted „there’s another door, we’ll go in there.” Then the others followed him and pulled me outside. Hermann the baker was particularly active. When they saw me, the men I mentioned said „what shall we do with this one?” And Hermann said „yes, he has to come too.” He told me not to put anything on, and took me to the front door. His companions stayed behind in our flat and I didn’t see them again. At the front door Kutter, a fitter’s mate at the Loos factory, came up to me and ordered me to go with them, which I did. He took me to the prison, the crowd stayed behind. There were still a lot of people in front of the house when they took me away, but they were quite quiet. The shouting in the street only lasted until they could get into the house, then it was quiet, my mother had fainted, but nothing happened to her. I myself wasn’t beaten up, nor insulted.
Mr. Kaiser, who I knew, took over when I got to the prison and said „it’s all the fault of your brother and Rosenfelder”, then he took me to the other prisoners. He wrote down my name and I was put into a cell with others.
Among the people involved I recognized Scheiderer, Kaiser and Bär.
Karl Bär ordered Scheiderer to bring the car out and to fill it up with petrol, which Scheiderer did and reported back that it was done.
I had the impression as if this action were reasonable. I didn’t see anyone being beaten or mistreated in any way in the prison.
I was arrested at about 22.30 h and then released on Monday (26.03.1934) at 22.00 by Obersturmbannführer Karl Bär. He said to me that I shouldn’t do anything in the future to cause any trouble.
g.b.u.u. Signed. M. Teitelbaum

Laura and Heinrich Teitelbaum divorced in 1934. She lived at Krankenhausstrasse 4‚ in the house of the Knoll family.
As of 1936. Laura Teitelbaum, née Menaszes, emigrated to New York on 11.08.1937. Unfortunately the fate of her sons and her husband is unknown.