Letter

Held by

Montreal Holocaust Museum via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)

Dates

July 27, 1949 (indexed as 1949)

Level

item

Extent

Letter : Paper : Typewritten : Ink : Beige, black ; Ht: 28 cm x W: 21 cm

Scope & content

Page with two holes punched on left side, Law Offices letterhead, note in German on back. Letter from lawyer Michael Rubinstein to Isaac and Helmut Isselbacher. The brothers attempted to regain their parents' property after the war. Narrative: Isaac Herbert Isselbacher was born 1919-11-20 in Isselbach, Germany. His brother was Helmut Isselbacher, born 1921-12-20. Their father was Jacob Isselbacher, born 1883-08-05. They had an uncle and aunt, David and Betty Loewenstein, who lived in New York City with their two children. Isaac left Germany on 1939-07-29, hoping to join his relatives in NYC. He only had the time to get to London, England before the war broke out and started working in a factory. He was arrested at his workplace as an ‘enemy alien’ and sent to Canada for internment in 1940. Isaac was interned in Camp N in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He was drafted into the Works Program Division for woodworking and net-making. In 1940, he received a last letter from his parents which suggested their imminent deportation. After his release, circa November 1942, Isaac worked as a locksmith. He married Fanny Azeff on 1943-12-26 at the Bnai Jacob synagogue in Montreal. Fanny was born on 1921-12-23 in Canada, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Azeff. Isaac was naturalized as a Canadian citizen on 1946-06-08. Fanny was naturalized on 1946-08-30 (she had lost her citizenship by marrying Isaac). Isaac’s brother, Helmut Isselbacher, was deported with Transport XXII A from Dossin casern in Mechelen (Malines), Belgium to Auschwitz Birkenau, Poland on 1943-09-20. Of the 2,450 people on the transport, 100 men were selected to work –including Helmut- and the remainder prisoners were gassed. Helmut was made to work as a welder, and was soon fitting new pipes for the gas chamber. He suffered a nervous breakdown as a result. As he was a valued welder, he was transferred to a labour camp in Upper Silesia (Poland) where he remained for two years. As the Russian army advanced, the 6,000 prisoners of this camp were evacuated by train. Helmut remembered being forced to march as the other prisoners died from exhaustion. When liberation was announced, the survivors travelled by ship from Luebeck, Germany, to Sweden with the aid of the Red Cross. After recovery, Helmut decided to remain in Sweden as a welder. Upon learning of his brother’s survival, Helmut travelled to New York in April 1946 to meet with him and their Loewenstein relatives. Afterwards, Helmut travelled to Canada bringing with him a washing machine and bras as late wedding presents for his brother and Fanny. By 1946-08-12, their parents were presumed dead and the two sons inquired into their estate. They received a deed for the land and travelled to the estate to discover that the current owner of their house was their old maid and her son had become the town mayor. Various disputes arose with the current ‘owners’ who believed the Isselbacher family dead. Isaac wished to discuss a settlement, but the mayor’s mother –not realizing Fanny understood German- called the neighbours at work to warn them not to come home as the Isselbacher sons had resurfaced. Payment for the land had reportedly been sent to Israel, though no documentation could be provided.

Location

No place found in this description yet.

Locate this photo

Genre / form

textual record

Format

Document

In the picture

Legal DocumentLetterLetterheadMontrealOffice WorkPropertySignatureTypewrittenTagged automatically by a vision model; may contain mistakes.

Text in the image

LAW OFFICESMICHAEL RUBINSTEIN, B.A., LL.M.ADVOCATE, BARRISTER AND SOLICITORPHONE MARQUETTE 6424SUITE 615-16 TRAMWAYS BLDG.159 CRAIG STREET WESTMONTREALJuly 27th, 1949.Messrs. Herbert, Helmuth and Manfred Isselbacher,4657 Clark Street,MONTREAL 14.Dear Sirs:Yours very truly,Michael RubinsteinSUITE 513-15 TRAMWAYS BLDG.I received a letter through the Canadian Department of External Affairs from the Secretary General of Property Control in the French Zone of Occupation, in which the French Authorities request from you immediately the following information and proofs concerning your claim for your return of property situated at Isselbach, district of Unterlahn.1.- The complete list and description of all property claimed by you;2.- Deeds and documents proving your right of ownership, etc.;3.- All information possible and persons and domicile of those who took possession without right of your property.The letter from the Secretary General's Department states that all the further information must be in possession of the Local Board for the District of Montabaur, not later than August 15th, 1949. Therefore I would ask you to communicate immediately with Mr. Wainer at my office, who is attending to my work during my absence on vacation, in order that this matter may be further attended to without delay.Read automatically; may contain mistakes.

Language

English

Harvested

2026-10-19T03:21:16Z · source datestamp n/a · andornot

Digital objects at the source

• imageOpen original at source ↗1999_1_102a.jpg
• imageOpen original at source ↗1999_1_102b.jpg