A German-Jewish family history
The Reichenbachs of Halberstadt and Wernigerode
A son writes to his mother to tell her she is still a person. Four days earlier, his cousin Fritz was murdered at Buchenwald. The family had sold clothes in the Harz for nearly a century. This archive follows what they built, what was taken, and who lived.
Remembering Paul J. Reichenbach · 1952 – 2026
He built Jewish life with teenagers, at camp and in Israel.
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The Reichenbach Family
Halberstadt, Germany
A short introduction to the letter, the family’s shops, deportation and exile, and the descendants’ return to Halberstadt.
Two handwritten sheets, kept by the family
Dolf’s letter opened the archive.
“Es ist draussen auch schön ohne Geld, man ist wieder Mensch, bedenke das immer.”“It’s also nice outside without money, one is a person again, always keep that in mind.” English translation by Rabbi Dr. Esther Jilovsky
Begin with the German transcription or Rabbi Dr. Esther Jilovsky’s English translation, then examine photographs of the two surviving sheets.
Explore the family and the archive
43 lives · 375 public records · 9 series
One object