Compiled by Kathrin Hahn and Madlen Kiessling
 Free translation by Susanne Eisen

THE STORY OF HOUSE ANSBACHER STRASSE 4

House Ansbacher Strasse 4 today

The Story of the House Ansbacher Strasse 4

The house at Ansbacher Strasse 4 was built by Heinrich Frank. In 1888 he built a cheese cellar and storage facility. About 1930 his nephew Heinrich Neumann acquired the house and the cheese wholesale business. About two weeks after the “Reichskristallnacht”, on 21. November 1938 the city bought the property for 4,000 RM. After the war Hans Weiss purchased the property.

The Story of the Heinrich Frank Family

Heinrich Frank was born 23. November 1851 in Demmelsdorf. He was the son of the teacher Hermann Frank and his wife Marianne born Brandt. He was a merchant , and he became a citizen of the city of Gunzenhausen on 29. December 1877. On 19. November 1884 he registered his cheese wholesale business. That was later taken over by his nephew Heinrich Neumann. There are no descendants. Wilhelm Frank, Heinrich’s brother, lived at Nuernberger Strasse 5. (See story). There were 6 more siblings, among them Maria Anna. From the time she was 8 years old she was in service to the Rabbi of Schwabach. After that she spent 9 years with the Jewish widow Sarla, who was a lacemaker in Bamberg. Then she spent ½ year with the widow Dachauer. In 1922 she wrote a letter to the magistrate to ask to be allowed to discontinue working as a servant because of ill health (weak body). She asked permission to mend laces and table linens to support herself instead.

The Story of the Neumann Family

Heinrich Neumann was born on 17. December 1881 in Hainsfarth, the son of the merchant Mendel Neumann and his wife Hannchen. On 23. December 1913 he married Sophia Blumenthal, born 24. June 1887, the daughter of the merchant David Blumenthal and his wife Ida, born Frank, of Hensoltstrasse 27 in Gunzenhausen. Mr. Neumann took over the cheese wholesale business Heinrich Frank & Company” at Ansbacher Strasse 4 from his wife Sophia’s uncle in 1930.

On 10. January 1926 he had been voted the head of the board of directors of the Israeli Religious Community in Gunzenhausen. In December 1929 he became the first replacement for the second mayor Fritz Raab in the city government, who belonged to the “Buergerblock” and then moved up into his position.

On 4. May 1939 Heinrich Neumann wrote the following letter to his friend Sigmund Dottenheimer (see  Burgstallstrasse 1) in Frankfurt

Line by line (but freely translated) copy of the letter:

Gunzenhausen 4. May 1939

Dear friend Sigmund, dear Mrs. D!

We received your dear letter

of 2. May (of this month) and will send you (both) or

rather you (Sigmund) the sewing machine shortly.

I will have a small wooden container built for it.

The Cuba issue happened 

very fast. We had an 

address in Cuba, which we wired to 

Hermann Neuburger. Within 

8 days the permits 

were ready for us for $ 215 per person, 

$ 430 for both of us, which (my) sister made 

available to us. Payment had to be 

made first, of course, so 

I telegraphed it to Hermann. 

If you are interested in 

Hermann’s (help), you simply have 

to send your name, birth date, place of birth 

and current address. 

Hermann will take care of everything else. 

His address is:

Hermann Neuburger

612 West 184^th Street, 

Apt. 33

New York City

I hope, dear Sigmund, that 

I have been of some assistance to you, 

and I would be delighted 

to see you there.

Last Saturday I got together 

with Jacob G. to have some drinks, of course,

and naturally we thought 

of you, dear Sigmund.

And now greetings 

to you all,

Your friend 

Heinrich Neumann

Heinrich Neumann was deported to KZ Dachau on 1. December 1938, shortly after his wife had registered her move to Munich.

Both are missing in the KZ of Riga and presumed dead. There were no descendants.

	Zurück zur Übersicht Jüdisches Leben
	Zurück zu den Bildungsseiten der Stadt
	Last updated 2007-10-31 by Franz Müller