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Albert Lewkowitz

Albert Lewkowitz was a neighbour of the Frank family.

Person

  • Albert Lewkowitz
  • Born on: April 6, 1883
  • Born in: Georgenberg, Duitsland
  • Died on: Nov. 10, 1954
  • Died in: Haifa, Israël

Anne Frank mentions the Lewkowitz family in her diary in connection with the problems with the subtenant Werner Goldschmidt, who stayed behind in their home.[1]

Albert Lewkowitz studied in Breslau and Leipzig. From 1914 to 1916 he was a 'Feldrabbiner' with the German army. He married Hildegard Bloch in Breslau on 4 March 1917.[2] Their son Karl Friedrich was born 10 September 1922.

Lewkowitz taught at the Jüdisch-Theologischen Seminar in Breslau until it closed in November 1938. In October 1939 Albert and Hildegard fled to the Netherlands, where Albert taught philosophy at the Netherlands Jewish Theological Seminary in Amsterdam.[3] On 24 October 1939, he held a lecture on Jüdische Weltanschauung und der Wille zur Macht at the Stichting tot gezamenlijke Culturele en Sociale Arbeid van Nederlandse en Duitse Joden (Foundation for Joint Cultural and Social Work of Dutch and German Jews) at Oosteinde 16.[4]

Son Karl Friedrich was a Zionist and had already fled to the Netherlands in December 1938, where he took up residence in the Werkdorp Wieringermeer, an agrarian training complex for young Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria, almost immediately after arrival.[5]

On 4 May 1940, Albert and his spouse were deprived of their deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit.[6]

On 29 August 1940, he (and his wife and son) received a certificate of good conduct from the Mayor of Amsterdam, intended for emigration to the United States.[7] This indicated that their application for the US was at a relatively advanced stage. It is not known why the family was ultimately unable to leave.

On 11 June 1941, there was a raid in Amsterdam-Zuid, mainly targeting former residents of Werkdorp Wieringermeer. Among those arrested was Lewkowitz's son Karl Friedrich.[8] He was transported via Schoorl camp to Mauthausen, where he was killed on 30 October 1941.[5]

Both Albert and his wife Hildegard worked for the Jewish Council and therefore had a Sperre. They were labeled 'exchange Jews' on the basis of the Alberheim Declaration, which stated that those involved were suitable for pioneer work in Palestine, and could emigrate there for a substantial payment. [9] On 15 December 1943, they were sent to Westerbork and from there they were transported on 11 January 1944 with 1.037 'exchange Jews' Bergen-Belsen on 11 January 1944.[5]  They were among the 222 Jews who managed to get to Palestine by exchanging prisoners with the Germans on 10 July 1944.[10]

Lewkowitz was on the list of people to whom Otto Frank wanted to send a copy of Het Achterhuis in 1947. He was living in Haifa at the time,[11] and was a rabbi there.[12]

Source personal data.[3] Addresses: Biesboschstraat 15 III, Amsterdam (June ‘40); 11 III (Feb. ’41); Joubertstraat 21 (May ’43).[2]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 22 August 1942, in: The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
  2. a, b Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart A. Lewkowitz.
  3. a, b Alfred Jospe, "Lewkowitz, Albert" in: Neue Deutsche Biographie,p 14 (1985), p. 417-418 [Online-Version].
  4. ^ Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis, Collectie Judaica Nederland, inv. nr. 42, uitnodiging lezing 24 oktober 1939, Oosteinde 16.
  5. a, b, c Werkdorp Wieringermeer: Karl Friedrich Lewkowitz; Spuren im Vest - Juden im Vest Recklinghausen: Lewkowitz Karl Friedrich.
  6. ^ Hans Georg Lehmann & Michael Hepp (Einl.), Die Ausbürgerung deutscher Staatsangehöriger 1933 – 45 nach den im Reichsanzeiger veröffentlichten Listen. Band 1. Listen in chronologischer Reihenfolge, München: Saur, 1985, p. 326.
  7. ^ SAA, Secretarie, Afdeling Algemene Zaken, toegang 5181, indicateur van aanvragen van verklaringen van Nederlanderschap en goed gedrag, volgnrs. 3447, 3448 en 3449.
  8. ^ NIOD Nederlands Instituut voor Oorlogs-, Holocaust- en Genocidestudies, Archief Joodsche Raad, toegang 182, inv. nr. 263, lijst van de op 11 Juni 1941 gearresteerde Joodsche mannen, p. 2.
  9. ^ Joods Monument: The Albersheim Declaration.
  10. ^ NOS 1944-1945 - Het Bevrijdingsjaar: Joodse gevangenen uitgewisseld met opgepakte nazi’s.
  11. ^ Anne Frank Stichting, Anne Frank Collectie, Otto Frank Archief, reg. code OFA_100: Lijst met namen en adressen.
  12. ^ Werner Stegmaier und Daniel Krochmalnik (Hrsg.), Jüdischer Nietzscheanismus, Berlijn [etc.]: De Gruyter, 1997, p. 369.