Memorial Signs for the Springer, Reis, and Weiss families,
St.-Jakobs-Platz 18

22.05.2023 11:00 a.m.

Veranstaltung

On Monday, 22 May 2023, a commemorative event for 12 members of the Springer, Maier, Reis, and Weiss families was held at the Jewish Community Centre. In addition to Judith Rosenthal, the initiator of the Memorial Signs, many other members of the four Munich families travelled from all over the world to attend the event. Speakers at the commemoration included Mayor Katrin Habenschaden and Dr h.c. mult. Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, as well as Dr Andreas Heusler from the Munich Cultural Department.

Many of the relativesalso spoke and told the biographies of the family members, and photographs of sculptures by Elisabeth Springer were shown, accompanied by poems by Sarah Rosenthal and music by Peter Herrmann on the saxophone. At the end, Rabbi Shmuel Aharon Brodman sang the El Malei Rachamim.

Afterwards, the Memorial Signs for seven family members were placed at their former places of residence.

Monday, 22 May 2023
11 a.m.
Commemorative event for the Springer family, the Reis family, and the Weiss family
Jüdisches Gemeindezentrum, St. Jakobs-Platz 18

Peter Herrmann, saxophone
Phillip Glass, Melodies for Saxophone, no. 1
Dr. h.c. mult. Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria
Mayor Katrin Habenschaden
Andrea Stadler-Bachmaier, District Committee Altstadt-Lehel
Dr. Andreas Heusler, Cultural Department of Munich
Judith Rosenthal, family member and initiator of the Memorial Signs
Family members read short biographies
Rabbi Shmuel Aharon Brodman sang the El Male Rachamim
Elisabeth Springer, sculptures, accompanied by
- Sarah Rosenthal, Poems from her book "Lizard", dedicated to Elisabeth Springer
- David Rosenthal Bela Bartok, "Pe loc, Romanian Folk Dance for Piano" (audio recording)

Flyer (PDF)

Relatives reading out biographies

Rabbiner Aharon Brodman in conversatin with Bürgermeisterin Katrin Habenschaden

Mayor Katrin Habenschaden

Peter Herrmann plays Melodies for Saxophone, no. 1

Dr h.c. Charlotte Knobloch in conversation with Judith Rosenthal

Dr Andreas Heusler, Cultural Department of the City of Munich

Dr h.c. Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria

Judith Rosenthal, relative and initiator of the Memorial Signs

Family members present biographies

Family members present the biographies

A relative recites one of the biographies

Family members read out the biographies

Family member reading one of the biographies

A relative reading out one of the biographies

Rabbi Shmuel Aharon Brodman sings 'El male Rachamim'

Memorial Signs for Dorline Springer, Elisabeth Springer, Max Springer, and Joseph Weiss

Sendlinger Straße 3 (formerly Rosental 19)

Dorline Maier married David Springer, had two daughters and ran a haberdashery shop at Rosental 19 together with her husband until his death in 1930. In 1939, Dorline Springer had to leave her home and move into a so-called ‘Jews’ house’ at Landwehrstraße 44. In 1942, at the age of 64, Dorline Springer was deported to the Piaski ghetto. It is not known where and how she died; she was declared dead after the war.

Her daughter Elisabeth Springer was an actress and artist. She married in 1939, perhaps in the hope that it would make emigration possible. Her husband Joseph Weiss had run a typing and copying office, which he was forced to close in 1938.

Together with her mother Dorline and her husband, who had moved in with her, Elisabeth Springer was also forced to leave her home and move into the ‘Judenhaus’ in Landwehrstraße; she and her husband had to perform forced labour. After his divorce from Elisabeth, Joseph Weiss was forced to move to the ‘Judensiedlung Milbertshofen’. In November 1941, Elisabeth Springer and Joseph Weiss were deported to Kaunas together with around 1,000 other Jewish children, women and men and murdered there.

David Springer's brother Max was single. As a graduate engineer, he worked with heat engines. Max Springer also lived in the house at Rosental 19. Like his sister-in-law Dorline and his niece Elisabeth, he also had to move from there to the ‘Judenhaus’ in Landwehrstraße in 1944, and in 1942 the Gestapo brought him to the so-called ‘Judensiedlung Milbertshofent’. From there, Max Springer was deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1942 and shortly afterwards deported by the SS to the Treblinka extermination camp, where he was murdered shortly after his arrival.

A relative installing the Memorial Sign for Joseph Weiss

A relative installing the Memorial Sign for Elisabeth Springer

A relative installing the Memorial Sign for Dorline Springer

A relative installing the Memorial Sign for Max Springer

The family placing flowers

Relative next to the Memorial Signs for the Springer family and Jakob Weiss

Mayor Katrin Habenschaden

The Memorial Signs for Jakob Weiss and the Springer family

Memorial Sign for Arnold Springer

Arnold Springer lived with his parents at Rosental 16, opposite the house at Rosental 19, where many of his relatives lived. His father died when he was still a toddler, his mother only a few years later. After the death of his parents, his grandmother Rosa Springer moved in with him at Rosental 16.

After leaving school, Arnold Springer completed an apprenticeship as a locksmith and mechanic at the Jewish training workshop. In 1936, Rosa and Arnold Springer were forced to leave the house in Roental, and in the following years they were registered at five different addresses in Munich. In 1942, the Gestapo deported Arnold Springer from Munich to Paiski; it is not known exactly when and where he died. Arnold Springer was probably only 21 years old when he was killed.

Commemoration for Arnold Springer

Group picture of the relatives of Arnold Springer

Relative of Arnold Springer next to his Memorial Sign

Relative next to the Memorial Sign for Arnold Springer

The saxophone player Peter Herrmann

Relative of Arnold Springer

Relative with the Memorial Sign for Arnold Springer

Relative of Arnold Springer

The Memorial Sign for Arnold Springer

Memorial Sign for Rosa and Emanuel Reis

Hackenstraße 4

Rosa and Emanuel - Emil - Reis married in 1896 and lived with their 3 children at Hackenstraße 4. In 1935, they moved from their flat in Hackenstraße to Gabelsbergerstraße. Emanuel Reis died in 1936.

After her husband's death, Rosa Reis had to move several times, and from April 1942 the Gestapo crammed her into the so-called 'Judesiedlung Milbertshofen'. From there, she was deported to the Treblinka extermination camp in September 1942 and murdered after her arrival.
Her two adult sons managed to emigrate to the USA, while her daughter and her husband Fritz were deported to Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943 and murdered there.