Curt Moskovitz and his twin sister Lilli were born on February 20, 1920 in Munich. Since 1925 they and their parents, Leopold and Maria Moskovitz, née Frieser, lived at Westendstraße 141, where Leopold Moskovitz ran a textile shop. There was another branch at Guldeinstraße 33. His customers considered him a friendly and accommodating businessman, who readily extended credit. On March 4, 1933 Curt celebrated his bar mitzvah at the age of 13. The following year, he lost a significant amount of weight, had pain while swallowing as well as in his stomach and abdomen. A medical examination yielded a clear diagnosis: Curt Moskovitz was suffering from progressive muscle atrophy. The fatal disease determined the course of his life from then on. Between October 1 and 19, 1938 he was treated in the Schwabing hospital. During the “Kristallnacht” pogroms on November 9, 1938 the National Socialists vandalized both of Leopold Moskovitz’s shops, and imprisoned him until December 5, 1938 in Dachau concentration camp. Curt’s unstable health meant it was impossible for the family to flee. Perhaps this is why he attempted suicide. On December 24, 1938 he was admitted to the Schwabing hospital again and in January 1939 he was sent to the sanatorium and nursing home Eglfing-Haar. Curt Moskovitz died there in the early morning hours of January 14, 1939, at the age of 18. His death certificate describes his “depression, progressive muscular atrophy, cardiac atrophy, and sudden death.” Curt Moskovitz was buried in the New Jewish Cemetery in Munich. On January 17, 1939, three days after her brother’s death, Curt's sister Lilli managed to emigrate to the United States. On August 29, 1939, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, Leopold and Maria Moskovitz were also able to flee to the United States. (text Lena Lang, editor C. Fritsche, translation T. Axelrod)
