We have heard of “TheFreedom Train”, an account where the Leitz family helped a large number of Jews
to escape persecution during the ThirdReich.
I have just come across a
rather detailed account of what some individuals had to go through to escape
possible transfer to a concentration camp with the help of Ernst Leitz II and Elsie
Kühn-Leitz and, even more so, what awaited them when arrested.
In 1943 Gauleiter Sprenger
and the Gestapo in Frankfurt had the ambition to make their district completely
"free of Jews.”
This campaign reached Wetzlar
on May 23, 1943. On that day, Flora Bonus and her sister Rosa Best received a
summons to the Gestapo in Frankfurt. The
following events are well documented.
Ernst Leitz II
To help, Ernst Leitz II
sent an acquaintance of his, the masseuse Julie Gerke, to the shop of optician
and photo retailer Hermann Palm to look after his Jewish wife. At the shop she met the daughter of Mr. Palm,
Mrs. Irle. She explained that her mother
was completely disturbed because she was to be arrested. "
Hedwig Palm and her daughter Helene
Both went into the room
behind the shop, where Mrs. Palm was crying and declared to commit suicide or
to flee to Switzerland to her sister. Mrs. Gerke reported about this to the
Leitz family and said: "That is quite dreadful, the woman must be helped."
Dr. Elsie Kühn-Leitz
Elsie Kühn-Leitz, the
daughter of Ernst Leitz II, suggested: "Take
her to Aunt Ella's." She was
referring to Mrs. Bocks, the sister of Ernst Leitz, who lived in Munich. Frau
Gerke was planning to travel there in the next few days. She immediately agreed, bought two train tickets
and accompanied Mrs. Palm to Munich on May 28, 1943.
After her return, she explained
to Mr. Palm where his wife was staying. The next day Mrs. Irle came to her and
announced that her mother had received a summons to the Gestapo. She asked her
to mail two letters in Frankfurt. These
were fake farewell letters to the husband and daughter.
After some time Mrs. Gerke
received a letter from Mrs. Bocks asking her to pick up her Leica and
binoculars at Mr. Palm’s shop and bring them to her in Munich.
The dangerous border
crossing into Switzerland failed due to betrayal
Elsie Kühn-Leitz described
the further development in her post-war memories:
"Gradually, however, my aunt and Mrs. Palm's
waiting time and uncertainty about the danger of the situation was too long and
Mrs. Gerke and I discussed the border crossing. After previous inquiries in
Frankfurt, a border crossing at Thingen / Rhine in the direction of
Schaffhausen seemed to be the best way. I gave Mrs. Gerke a map and pointed out
the way. I also obtained 10 Swiss francs for her, so that Mrs. Palm did not
need to be without appropriate national currency after crossing the border.
Mrs. Gerke went to Munich, and the two women made the difficult attempt to cross
the border. They confided in a milkman who drove a truck. They gave him money
and a binocular, for him to show them the best way to the Swiss station and to
escort them. But he had nothing better to do than to point them out to the next
German border officials. This led to their capture and imprisonment in Waldshut.
"
Julie Gerke and Hedwig
Palm were arrested on 4 July 1943 at the Swiss border. While Ms. Palm were
under Gestapo arrest in Frankfurt on July 9, Ms. Gerke had to defend heself in
the Waldshut district court.
Ms. Gerke was sentenced to
eight weeks' imprisonment on 5 August but was arrested again on 3 September by
the Gestapo.
Elsie Kühn-Leitz explained:
"Since Frau Gerke was once again in jail and had
previously issued threats against me and our family as informers and assistants
in the cause of Mrs. Palm, I could now expect my own persecution."
Ernst Leitz II and his
daughter were ordered to the Gestapo on September 10, 1943.
"First, my dad was interviewed alone. I was not
allowed to attend the interrogation. After about 2 hours of waiting, which
seemed infinitely long, it was my turn. I was now being asked about the details
of the Palm case and it was made clear to me that I had committed one of the
greatest mortal sins against the Third Reich, supporting a Jew, an archenemy of
the Führer and the Third Reich.
In the end, I replied that I might have acted against
a law established by men, but never against divine law, because before God all
people are equal, whether Jews, Christians or Gentiles, so I have nothing to
regret. "
Elsie Kühn-Leitz was
arrested, but promised to be back in three days - it would be almost three
months.
Dr. Elsie Kühn-Leitz and her children Cornelia and Knut
Towards 9 pm the transport
reached the prison at Klapperfeldstraße in Frankfurt. The worst were the large-scale attacks
during which the prisoners had to endure in their cells. She had to survive several of those bombing
nights.
Her imprisonment ended on
November 28, 1943 with the help of a friend of the family and because her
father Ernst Leitz had "sacrificed
thousands and thousands for bribes of the Gestapo." But she was only really
free after March 29, 1945 when the invasion of the Americans reached Wetzlar. Until then, she was repeatedly interrogated.
Ernst Leitz II was cited
on 13 December 1943 for "favoring the Jews.” He got away with a warning
because his daughter had taken full responsibility for the assistance in the escape.
Julie Gerke was interned after the war
as a Gestapo spy by the Americans in Wetzlar. She had denounced several other people besides
the Leitz family.
Hedwig Palm had the most
difficult experience. She was deported
from Frankfurt on November 11, 1943 to the women's concentration camp
Ravensbrück. Most likely right at the
beginning of the Frankfurt detention, she agreed to work as a Gestapo spy to
save herself.
Her family could do little
for her. They sent packages of food and clothing, and wrote letters of
encouragement. Once she could see her daughter and son-in-law from the window. All letters included requests for food:
“I’ve been here for over 5
months. My weight is still about 110
pounds. I'm terribly hungry and ask you
to help me all you can with food.”
She also asked to file for
a pardon and reported that she was glad to work as a knitter because the
exterior work was so much harder. For three months she had a terrible whooping
cough. The last correspondence was received by her family in March 1945 from
the camp Uckermark. She died there.
Even Helene (Leni) Irle spent
six weeks in a rattling field prison, where she was repeatedly badly
mistreated.
"In the cell where I was staying, the water ran
off the walls, the straw bag I lay on was completely soaked, most of the time I
spent in detention, the cells were unheated."
Their release from custody
was conditional on the payment of a "fine" of RM 1,000. For years after the war she suffered from
gallbladder disease and rheumatism.
Ernst Leitz II and his
daughter Elsie Kühn-Leitz deserve immense credit and gratitude to extend a
helping hand in total disregard for their own safety and well being.
A street in Wetzlar was named Elsie-Kühn-Leitz Straße
"1903-1985. Honorary Citizen of Avignon and Wetzlar
She supported Culture and International Understanding"
To comment or to read comments please scroll past the ads below.
All ads present items of interest to Leica owners.
___________________________________________________________________________
To comment or to read comments please scroll past the ads below.
All ads present items of interest to Leica owners.
___________________________________________________________________________
Buy vintage Leica cameras from
America's premier Leica specialist
Buy vintage Leica cameras from
America's premier Leica specialist
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography
Click on image to enlarge
Order: info@gmpphoto.com
Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography
No comments:
Post a Comment