Else and Max Weinberg

The Jewish couple, Max and Else Weinberg, nee´ Phillipsohn, had lived at Heidestraße 14 since 1931. The house belonged to Else Weinberg.

Max Weinberg was born on Norderney on the 22^nd December, 1890, and Else Phillipsohn in Bückeburg on 13^th June, 1896. In 1920 they married in Bückeburg and from 1921 until 1931 lived at Besselstrasse 13, in Minden and later at Heidestrasse 14. They were both active in the Jewish community, Else being on the committee of the Israelite Society. Max was a member of the Community Committee and was also a committee member of the German Jewish Citizens Union (CV). Else Weinberg was a housewife and her husband, a business man, was a partner in the scrap metal firm, Samuel Salomon, at Königswall 5-9 in Minden. Samuel Salomon was the other part owner.

After the Nazis power takeover, in 1933, the firm’s business activities came, just about, to a still stand because of imposed boycotts. The Nazis recognised the importance of such firms in there preparation for war. They began the persecution of firm owners with the object of getting rid of them and replacing them with Aryan owners. This was accomplished in December, 1938, and the firm was sold under compulsory order to a Minden business man, Fritz Berg.

Max Weinberg, together with Arthur Salomon, had been arrested earlier, after the Pogrom night on 9^th/10^th November, 1938, and imprisoned in the concentration camp at Buchenwald where he was brutally mistreated. In December he was allowed to return to his home but not to the firm, which was now in Aryan hands.

On 13^th December, 1941, Max and Else Weinberg were deported to the Riga Ghetto and at a later, unknown date, both were sent to the concentration camp at Kauen (Polish : Kowno). Here they were separated and Else was given the prisoner number 48504 and was deported from Kauen to Stutthoff near Danzig. When, where and how she died in not known. It was either at Stutthoff after the camp was closed in January 1945, or, during the notorious march westwards. Max Weinberg was deported from Kauen to the concentration camp at Dachau. He was given the prisoner number 85015 and assigned the workforce, Kaufering. He died on 20^th October, 1944, in unknown circumstances His business partner, Arthur Salomon was murdered in Treblinka and a stone has been placed for him at Marienstrasse 28.

After the deportation of the Weinbergs to Riga their house, together with their belongings were confiscated. The new owner was the SA Standard bearer, Wilhelm Freimuth, well known in Minden and the surrounding area for his brutality. He was killed at the beginning of the war, in Poland. In 1956, after a seven year legal battle, his wife and seven children had to leave the house and return it to Else Weinberg’s heirs.