Of Blessed Memory Dedicated to the memory of my grandmothers and other family members of Eve and I who were murdered by the Nazis Betty Fried née Bachmann (my maternal grandmother) born 17th March 1867 in Kronach, Germany who was deported to Theresienstadt Concentration Camp believed to have perished 29th September 1942 in Treblinka Death Camp Hugo Heinemann (Eve's uncle) born 18th July 1900 in Düsseldorf, Germany imprisoned in 1937, accused of fraud, tried and sentenced to prison in 1939 for 'illegally' transferring the family's own monies out of Germany believed to have perished 16th February 1943 in Auschwitz Walter Heinemann born 26th July 1896 in Düsseldorf and his second wife Trude Kircheimer born 14th January 1905 in Grombach (Eve's uncle and aunt) Walter was accused of fraud, tried in absentia and sentenced to prison in 1939 for 'illegally' transferring the family's own monies out of Germany deported 18th January 1944 to Theresienstadt Concentration Camp believed to have perished 16th February 1943 in Auschwitz Trude was deported 18th January 1944 to Theresienstadt Concentration Camp believed to have perished 8th October 1944 in Auschwitz Karolina Löbl née Schloss (my paternal grandmother) born 23rd August 1861 in Maroldsweisach, Germany who was deported to Theresienstadt Concentration Camp and is believed to have perished 29th September 1942 in Treblinka Death Camp Leo Löbl born, 16th August 1887 in Bamberg, Germany and his second wife Gisela née Platz (my uncle and aunt) believed to have perished date unknown, in Belzec Extermination Camp (details of Gisela are not yet known) Martha Zimmer née Bachmann and her handicapped son Albert (my great aunt and cousin once removed) born 7th December 1870 in Kronach and 1st February 1894 in Fürth, Germany It is believed that Martha committed suicide 31st August 1942 in Theresienstadt Concentration Camp and Albert perished 3rd or 4th April 1942 in Piaski Ghetto Abridged digital version THE BOY FROM BAMBERG A PERSONAL TESTIMONY AND BIOGRAPHY of Günter Löbl from Bamberg who became George Frederick Loble MBE JP as told to Gerald Stern Edited by Monica Stern née Loble and Joel Stern Front cover photograph is of the Synagogue in Bamberg set on fire during Kristallnacht (photo courtesy of The Wiener Library, London) © Copyright Reserved George Frederick Loble 2014 Günter Löbl George Contents Setting the Scene 1 My Family 17 Bamberg 30 Our Businesses in Bamberg 36 Changing Times 40 Kristallnacht 47 Our Immediate Family Reunited but not for long! 57 Keswick and my Barmitzvah 62 Establishing Loblite Limited 68 My Apprenticeship 72 The Terrible Fate of my Grandmothers and other 76 Family Members Living in the Big City 86 Falling in Love 90 An Enforced Move Back up North 94 Tying the Knot 99 Challenging Times Indeed 111 Developing New Products and Markets 116 Our Family Develops 122 My Communal Activities 127 My Illustrious Cousins 136 Eve's Heinemann Family 140 More About Eve's Family 157 A Move, Our Travels and the Final Chapter of Loblite 165 Researching our Ancestors 173 Boys and Toys 177 Then and Now 181 My Sincere Thanks to . 189 George Frederick Loble, Curriculum Vitae 190 Bibliography 191 Foreword I have jotted down notes, with this book in mind, over a number of years. I always dreamed of producing my biography as a legacy to our grandchildren and to their descendants, but life has been so full that it has been a long time in coming to fruition. When we became great grandparents and Eve and I began to suffer a few health problems (wear and tear!), I came to realise that perhaps we should get on with the task. The purpose of this record is to give a very general picture of my life and times. My early life, up to the age of 12, was spent in Germany. This is the story of how my family escaped Nazi tyranny and ended up in the North East of England. I arrived in London in March 1939 in the care of my Hammelburger relatives from Würzburg. I had clothes and a few personal possessions in the suitcase which was as big as I could manage on my own and 10 shillings (the current equivalent of 50 pence), which was the maximum amount permitted by the Nazis to be taken abroad in foreign currency. This book contains reminiscences of my life and is not a diary. Some of the dates may not be completely correct, as I write largely from memory. It was written particularly so that those dark days in Nazi Germany will never be forgotten. There are those who suggest the Holocaust never happened or was some gross exaggeration of the truth but sadly not! I hope this account will honour the memory of my beloved family who were cruelly murdered purely because they were Jewish. In fact they were decent, honourable and hard working. I hope that these qualities may inspire future generations to help others, to be smart, to work hard and to see what they can achieve in their own lives. In any event, it should also form a testimony as to how our well established family had contributed for many decades to the good of the local and national community. My father and uncles fought for Germany in the First World War and yet only a few years later were victimised by the Nazi regime. This book was written with the prompting, encouragement and great assistance of my son in law, Gerald Stern, commencing around the time of my 85th birthday. As my general education ceased at the age of fourteen, I would ask the reader to make allowances for any shortcomings in the text. George Loble June 2014 Setting the Scene I was born Günter Löbl on 25th September 1926 in the town of Bamberg in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. I was the third son and youngest child of Fritz Löbl born 1886 in Bamberg and Elsa née Fried born 1892 in Bamberg. The beautiful Bamberg Rathaus 2011 My fathers family came from Michelob in Bohemia (today known as Mecholupy in the Czech Republic) to Bamberg around 1881. They moved for economic reasons and initially opened a clothing store on the Obere Brücke adjacent to the Rathaus, which is situated on an island in the centre of the river Regnitz. According to the Family Residence Records, my grandfather, Hugo Löbl, born 1857 in Michelob, officially became a Citizen of the State of Bavaria on 16th June 1896. My mothers family came from the small town of Ebelsbach, some 22 kilometres North West of Bamberg. The Fried family had lived in Ebelsbach and neighbouring Trunstadt since at least the early 1700s. My grandfather, William Fried, born 1852 in Ebelsbach, was a hop merchant who moved to Bamberg in 1899. My father My mother Fritz Löbl born 1886 Elsa Löbl née Fried born 1892 1 All of my ancestors were Jewish. I believe that the Löbl men were Levites because I have recently discovered two descendant lines (Sali Löbl, buried in Quito, Ecuador and Arnost Lobl, buried in London) continuing to observe this tradition. My parents and grandparents were active in the Deutsch Liberale Synagogue which was the predominant branch of Judaism in Bamberg at that time. The Synagogue, built in 1910, was opened by our minister, Rabbi Dr Adolf Eckstein (1857 1935). It incorporated a smaller sanctuary which was used by a group of Orthodox Jews who held a minyan (prayer quorum) three times each day on the same premises. Use of the two sanctuaries, one large and one small, was interchangeable according to communal requirements. My Löbl family were more observant than my Fried family. My grandparents, Hugo and Karolina Löbl kept a kosher home, observed Shabbat and the Jewish festivals. My father was Treasurer of the Synagogue and wore a silk top hat during formal services. It was stored in a special container in a locker at the Synagogue, together with his tallit (prayer shawl) and siddurim (daily prayer books). A collection of daily and special Holiday prayer books was kept under his hinged seat in the Synagogue. During services, my father, a member of the Synagogue Council sat in specially designated seats at the front. My mothers Fried family were more relaxed in their observance and belonged to the same community. Other members of our family were also active in the Synagogue and sang in the choir. Iron Cross First Class Iron Cross Second Class Wounded Medal My father was also Chairman of the Reichsbund Jüdischer Frontsoldaten (Bamberg), the German Jewish equivalent of the British Legion. He had spent the entire four year period of the First World War (1914 to 1918) in the trenches, finishing as a Lieutenant. He was awarded Iron Crosses both First and Second Class, a Wounded Medal (he sustained an injury from shrapnel) and the Bavarian Military Service Medal with Crossed Swords, awarded during the reign of the State President, von Hindenburg. It was unusual for a Jewish soldier to achieve such high rank. War Service Medal Bavarian Service Medal Red Cross Medal of Elsa Fried 2 His Majesty the King (Kaiser Wilhelm II) is graciously pleased to award Lieutenant of the 1st Defence Forces Telegraphic Division, Fritz Löbl, the Royal Military Service Medal 4th Class, with swords. This certificate is issued as confirmation, Munich 29 April 1918 by order of the Chief Medal Chancellor, M Herringrath From my earliest recollections my father and his younger brother, Robert, worked together running a business, established by my grandfather, manufacturing outdoor electric lighting fittings and accessories. The business called Hugo Löbl Söhne GmbH was based in Lichtenhaidestrasse on the outskirts of Bamberg.