Remembering the Jews of Vacha

This page is a but a brief digital memorial to the Jewish people of Vacha that were murdered in the Shoah. This list was compiled by Günter Hermes and Inge Wimmer of Vacha, for Hermes’ work titled “Timetable for the History of Vacha”.

All those listed were either born or had lived in Vacha, some moved away during the increasing strife of the 1930s to find shelter in larger cities, other countries, or with relatives.

May they always be remembered.

Auschwitz

Meta Hollaender (born Meta Katz)

born May 28, 1872 in Vacha, last known residence Bielefeld(?) Deported to Auschwitz, date of murder: May 14, 1943.

Edith Oppenheim

born November 26, 1904 in Vacha, last lived on 6 Schulstraße in 1939. Deported to Auschwitz, date of murder unknown.

Fredigunde Abraham (called “Spiegel”)

born December 12, 1904 in Vacha, lived at 2 Zwickel as a house-daughter, moved to Berlin in 1940. Deported to Auschwitz on March 17, 1943, as part of the 4th major deportation. Date of murder unknown.

Selma Ebstein (born Selma Katzenstein)

born February 15, 1880 in Vacha, last known to live in Berlin. Deported to Auschwitz in 1943, date of murder unknown.

Belzyce ghetto

Anna Dörnberg

born January 25, 1886 in Vacha, from 1928 lived in Erfurt. Deported to the ghetto in Belzyce by Lublin, Poland. Date of murder is unknown.

Sitty (Siddi) Rosenberg (born Sitty Katz)

born December 25, 1904 in Vacha, last lived in a Jewish community house in Erfurt. Deported to the ghetto in Belzyce by Lublin, Poland on October 10, 1942. Date of murder is unknown.

KZ Sachsenhausen

Leo Katzenstein

born January 23, 1899 in Vacha, last lived in Wiesbaden. Deported to Sachsenhausen concentration camp, date of murder: August 17, 1942.

KZ Stutthof

Berta Strauß

born March 24, 1898 in Vacha on 2 Steinweg, last lived in Berlin 1942. Was put into forced labor after deportation to Riga ghetto in 1942. Deported to KZ Stutthof (AEG Thorn labor camp) on August 9, 1944. Date of murder: October 30, 1944.

Berta’s stolperstein, or “stumbling stone”, is located at Vacha’s Steinweg 2, and reads:

Here lived Berta Strauss, born Strauss in 1898, deported to Riga in 1942, murdered in Thorn/Stutthof on October 10, 1944.

Brunhilde Strauß

born June 15, 1928 in Vacha on 2 Steinweg, last lived in Berlin 1942. Was put into forced labor after deportation to Riga ghetto in 1942. Murdered January 25, 1945, on forced evacuation march to Stutthof concentration camp.

Brunhilde’s stolperstein is located at Vacha’s Steinweg 2, and reads:

Here lived Brunhilde Strauss, born 1928, deported to Riga in 1942, died during death march from Stutthof in February 1945.

Jette Strauß

born in 1872 in Vacha on 2 Steinweg. Was deported to Riga ghetto, murdered on February 5, 1942.

Jette’s stolperstein is located at Vacha’s Steinweg 2, and reads:

Here lived Jette Strauss, born Strauss in 1872, deported to Riga, murdered on February 5, 1942.

Click for the story of Susan Strauß-Taube, the daughter, sister, and granddaughter of Bertha, Brunhilde, and Jette respectively, who survived the Shoah.

Minsk ghetto

Jenny Braunschweiger (born Jenny Dörnberg)

born December 30, 1876 in Vacha, last lived in Hamburg. Deported to Minsk in 1942, date of murder unknown.

Riga ghetto

Julie Haaf (born Julie Dörnberg)

born August 13, 1883 in Vacha. Deported to the Riga ghetto in 1942. Died in Riga, date of murder unknown.

Arnold Katzenstein

born February 15, 1878 in Vacha, last lived in Herleshausen. Deported to the Riga ghetto in 1941, date of murder unknown.

Sobibor

Irma Klestadt (born Irma Katz)

born August 4, 1893 in Vacha. Expatriated to the Netherlands. Deported to Sobibor death camp in 1943, date of murder unknown.

Theresienstadt ghetto-camp

Albert Gans

born May 6, 1876 in Vacha, last lived in Berlin. Deported to Theresienstadt ghetto, murdered on September 12, 1943.

Clara Speyer

born April 13, 1874 in Vacha, last lived in Eisenach. Deported September 20, 1942 on Weimar Transport number XVI/1-591 to Theresienstadt. Date of murder: September 12, 1942.

Dora Maier

born October 4, 1871 in Vacha. Deported to Theresienstadt in 1942, no known date of murder.

Hannchen Bachrach (born Hannchen Mann)

wife of Meier Bachrach, born February 22, 1874 in Vacha. Last lived in Eisenach. Deported September 20 on Weimar Transport number XVI/1-544, murdered on June 20, 1943.

Isaak Hecht

born February 24, 1866 in Mansbach. Married in Vacha, lived on Schulstraße, moved to Berlin in 1936. Deported to Theresienstadt in 1942, murdered in December 1943.

Karoline (Lina) Stiebel (born Karolina Kaiser)

born March 3, 1872 in Vacha, last lived in Eisenach. Deported September 20, 1942 on Weimar Transport number XVI/1596 to Theresienstadt, murdered June 19, 1943.

Louis Bachrach

born October 28, 1876 in Vacha, a cow-trader living at 3 Sandweg. Later lived in Eisenach, deported September 20, 1942 on Weimar Transport number XVI/1-541 to Theresienstadt. Date of murder: May 28, 1944.

Mathilde Heilbrunn (born Mathilde Dörnberg)

born March 10, 1869(?) in Vacha, later lived in Eisenach. Deported September 20, 1942 on Weimar Transport number XVI/1-562 to Theresienstadt, murdered June 5, 1942.

Meier Bachrach

born April 16, 1872 in Vacha, a cattle trader at 39 Heyligenstädtstraße. Deported September 20, 1942 on Weimar Transport number XVI/1-543, murdered April 20, 1942.

Melly Jakob (born Melly Bachrach)

born February 28, 1887 in Vacha, later lived in Eisenach. Deported September 20, 1942 on Weimar Transport number XVI/1-543 to Theresienstadt, murdered May 14, 1944.

Philippine Gutmann (born Philippine Frankenheimer)

born March 15, 1863 in Gochheim. Moved to Vacha in 1939, lived on Völkershäuserstraße, later moved to Frankfurt. Deported to Theresienstadt in 1942, date of murder: January 26, 1943.

Rosa Oppenheim

born September 2, 1877 in Schenklengsfeld, moved to Vacha in 1938 and lived at 6 Schulstraße. Later lived in Berlin. Deported to Theresienstadt, date of murder unknown.

The Stolpersteine (“Stumbling Stones”) are memorial plaques installed by the artist Gunter Demnig. On March 18, 2014 Demnig installed plaques for eight former Jewish residents of Vacha. This installation was approved by the City Council of Vacha in November 2013.

Markt 41

Adolf Nussbaum

Here lived Adolf Nussbaum, born 1887, a member of the Vacha city council until 1933 when defamed [and forced to resign], fled to Palestine in 1934 and thus survived.

Ilse Nussbaum

Here lived Ilse Nussbaum, married name Lewy, born 1923, fled to Palestine and survived.

Martha Nussbaum

Here lived Martha Nussbaum, born Weiler in 1894, fled to Palestine in 1934 and survived.

Steinweg 2

Jette Strauss