Dina Heinemann, Käthe Löwy nee´ Pincus, Amalie Pincus nee´ Posener
Dina Heinemann
The former house at Ritterstrasse 11 no longer exists. It was the parental home of the Jew, Dina Heinemann who had probably lived there since her birth on 20th February, 1872. After finishing school she completed an apprenticeship as a seamstress. She never married.
During the time of the Weimar Republic she was known for her social engagement. It was such that in 1919 she became the Chairwoman of the 14th Welfare District in the Municipality of Minden. This commitment led her into Social Democratic politics. She probably became a member of the district branch of the Minden SPD at the beginning of the Weimar Republic. Twice, in 1924 and 1929, she stood as a candidate for the Municipal Council. Because of the proportional representation vote at that time, by which lists and not persons were voted for, the SPD gained few seats so that she was not able to become a Town Councillor.
After 30th January, 1933, Dina Heinemann became increasingly isolated. As a social democrat and as Jew she was seen by the Nazis to be a double enemy. She was discriminated against, cast out, hounded then threatened with death.
On 28th July, 1942, Dina Heinemann was taken from Minden and deported to the concentration camp at Theresienstadt together with 31 other Minden Jews. One month later, on 29th August, 1942, she was already dead. Nothing is known about the circumstances of her death
Käthe Löwy geb. Pincus
The Jewish woman, Kaethe Loewy, nee´Pincus, the daughter of Amalie and Abraham Pincus, also lived at Ritterstrasse 11. The available documents reveal little information about her.
Kaethe Pincus was born 22nd June, 1882, in Greifenhagen, Pommern. (The Commemoration Book in the National Archives state Greifenhagen in Pommern as her place of bi
rth). She had a brother, Gustav who, under the Nazi regime, was deported with his family to Warsaw where he was killed. On5th September, 1911, she married Max Loewy in Berlin. When her husband died is unknown, but she was already widowed when she moved to Minden from Hausberge, to Simeonstrasse 13, with her parents. From 1939 she lived with her parents at Ritterstrasse 11. Her father died in 1941 and his is buried at the Jewish cemetery in Minden.
Kaethe Loewy and her mother were arrested on 28th July, 1942, and taken to Bielefeld, and from there followed deportation to the concentration camp at Theresienstadt on transport number X1-315. Kaethe Loewy was murdered there on 7th April, 1944, as was her mother, a few days later.
Amalie Pincus nee´ Posener
There are varying accounts in Amalie Pincus’ biography as to her name and place of birth. One source says her surname is Pincus and the other, Pinkus. Her place of birth is recorded as Posener, also as Posner. Her date and place of birth also differs according to Afw Records and Registry Office where it states she was born 3rd April, 1860 in Greifenberg in the district of Angermuende, Pommern, according to the Registry Book, on 3rd April, 1860, in Schwiebus, Pommern. There is no doubt th
ough that the sources refer to the same person.
The differences are probably mistakes resulting from the way records were kept back in the middle of the 19th Century.
Amalie Posener was Jewish. She married the businessmen, Abraham Pincus in Greifenhagen, Pommern, on 6th September, 1881, and remained a housewife. Two children from the marriage later suffered under the national socialist rule of terror. The daughter, Kaethe, born 22nd June, 1882, who bore the married name, Loewy, was murdered in Theresienstadt 7th April, 1944. The son, Gustav, born 21st October, 1885, lost his life in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943. The married couple, Pincus, must have had another daughter although there are no confirming documents available. It is possible that she used her married name, Meyer. In any case, after the war Amalie Pincus’ three grandchildren, who all had the surname, Meyer, fought a successful reparation lawsuit.
It is not possible to establish the exact date that the Pincus’ left Pommern but they definitely moved from Berlin to Hausberge in 1923, to where their son Gustav already lived.
In the summer of 1924 Abraham and Amalie moved to Simeonstrasse 13 in Minden. They moved to Koenigstrasse 51 in 1935 and again, in to Ritterstrasse 11 in 1938, the same house in which their widowed daughter, Kaethe Loewy, already lived.
Abraham Pincus died in 1941 and is buried in the Jewish Cemetery, Minden.
Amalie Pincus was arrested 28th July, 1942 was taken to Bielefeld with many other Jews. Three days later she was deported to the concentration camp at Theresienstadt, and her daughter, Kaethe, was on the same transport. According to the Book of Remembrance Amalie Pincus was murdered there on 22nd March, 1944. The AfW File reports that she disappeared in Theresienstadt and was declared dead on 8th May, 1945.
After the deportation the household goods were seized and sold to the Minden municipality by the Revenue Office.