Hugo Walz Family

Hugo Walz
Hugo Walz

The cattle dealer Hugo Walz was born in Gunzenhausen on August 11th, 1897 at Burgstallstrasse 6 as the youngest son of Simon and Flora Walz, nee Nathan. His parents, too, were cattle dealers.

On June 27, 1922 he married Recha Gutmann who was born in Heidenheim on August 6th, 1898 as the daughter of Julius Gutmann and Flora Obermeier. In the same year, the young couple acquired the house Burgstallstrasse 5, directly across the street from the house of the Walz parents. According to the town’s registry of residences, Heinrich Winkler was still operating his pharmacy in the house at that time. Only in 1926 did he open up at Buehringerstrasse 12.

Julius Walz, the only son, was born in Gunzenhausen on December 21st, 1923.

Just like his brother Salomon at Burgstallstraße 6, the cattle dealer Hugo Walz, too, maintained a very friendly relationship with the peasants from Oberasbach who took care of his cattle pastures.

When conditions in Gunzenhausen became unbearable for the family, he sold his pastures to Karl Woellmer from Oberasbach.

On November 9th, 1938, the day of Kristallnacht, his house passed on to the city of Gunzenhausen.

Shortly thereafter, on November 29th, 1938, Hugo Walz, together with his brother Salomon, was taken by force to the concentration camp Dachau. His wife Recha Gutmann, together with their son Julius, cancelled their household registration on November 29th, 1938 and moved to Thierschstrasse 7 in Munich.

Ater the release of the two men, both families emigrated to the United States.

As part of the reparations negotiations, Hugo Walz wrote a letter to his friend Karl Woellmer.

„My dear friend Karl!

Both my brother Salo, who lives in New York, and I were very happy to receive your writing. We very particularly pleased to hear that everybody is well. Salo and I can report the same from our end.

For us, the path from Gunzenhausen to America was a difficult one, full of thorns, with all the difficulties... with the Nazis that one can possibly imagine.

We also spent several weeks at the rehabilitation center Dachau, with almost no clothes in extremely cold temperatures. That’s culture of the 20th century.

Willi Koerber from Gunzenhausen was there, too, during that time. He’ll be able to tell you everything.

In short, they kept putting pressure on us until everything we’d owed was robbed and stolen. Even most of our clothes. Now you have an idea about it. To write about everything would be a book. Maybe some day I’ll write something about it and send it to Gunzenhausen for people to read. Everything of course with documentation, which Salo and I mostly have.

Write back and send us some news. Salo appreciates the good wishes and says hello.

Please also say hello to the following: Sima, Mohr Fritz, Fritz Kerstephan, Brummer, Baumgaertner and Rebl Michel.

Cordial greetings to all of you,

Your old friend,

Hugo Walz.“

Recha Walz und ihr Ehemann Hugo emigrierten am 18.09.1940 von München nach New York, Recha starb am 19.06.1991 in Brooklyn, NY.
(Mitteilung von Frau Brigitte Schmidt, München).

Der Bruder Salomon zog mit Familie ebenfalls nach New York.

Today, the house at Burgstallstrasse is the residence of the Wieland family.