Riwka Malka (Regina) Hallerz, geb. Anker

Riwka Malka (Regina) Anker was born on 29 March 1879 in Tarnów, in what is now Poland. In 1905 she married Martin Hallerz and accompanied him to Munich, where from 1906 they ran a painting and decorating firm at Landwehrstrasse 21. Between 1906 and 1910, the couple had four children, Hermann, Frida, Albert and Berta. Martin Hallerz fought in the First World War and was a prisoner of war in Russia from 1914 to 1920. In July 1920, after his return, the family moved to Anglerstrasse 9 in Westend. Regina Hallerz was arrested along with her husband, Martin, and their two sons on 28 October 1938 during the “Polish Action”. They and other Jewish immigrants from Poland were supposed to be deported to Poland. But because they were denied entry by the Polish border officials their train was sent back to Munich. The family were free once more. Just a short time later, on 30 December 1938, Martin Hallerz had to deregister his business under the Regulation for the “Elimination of the Jews from the Economic Life of Germany“ („Ausschaltung der Juden aus dem deutschen Wirtschaftsleben“). This meant that the family were deprived of their livelihood and had to live from their savings. After Martin Hallerz’s arrest and detention in Buchenwald concentration camp on 9 September 1939, Regina Hallerz tried in vain to get permission to emigrate with her husband. On 20 September 1940 the Gestapo forced her to leave her home at Anglerstrasse 9 and move into the overnight shelter of the Munich Jewish Community at Wagnerstrasse 3. She subsequently lived in the Milbertshofen “Jewish settlement”, a barrack camp at Knorrstrasse 148. On 20 November 1941 Regina Hallerz was deported to Kaunas in Lithuania along with around a thousand other Jews from Munich. The SS shot her there five days later. Her husband Martin was murdered as well. He died on 11 March 1942 in the Bernburg killing site. Because they were protected by being married to “Aryans” or because they had managed to escape in time, all four of their children survived the Nazi era. (text Ruth and Klaus-Peter Münch, editor C. Fritsche, translation T. Axelod)