Deportation Summons Disguised as a Notice of Eviction

Notice of eviction addressed to Henry’s father Max Loewenstein by Jüdische Kultusvereinigung zu Berlin e.V., the Jewish Cultural Association in Berlin.  The letter requests its recipient come to the Jewish Cultural Association in Berlin building with every member of their household at 11:00 a.m. on March 31, 1942, a date stamp reads 31 Mar 1941.  It contains a threat of ”more severe measures” for failure to appear.  This letter was sent to Jewish families to gather them for transportation on trains to Eastern European ghettos and concentration camps.  Translation from Henry Lowenstein: ”Berlin, Date of the Post Mark Mr. Max Loewenstein, By official order, we inform you herewith that you are to be evicted from your residence. We ask you to please appear at our office building Oranienberger Strasse 31, third floor, on March 21, 1942, at 11am, with everyone living in your household, including children. People who are in the labor force must obtain leave of absence for this purpose. We must point out that you must appear to avoid more severe measures. The Jewish Cultural Organization of Berlin.”

 

Lowenstein’s family, pre-WWII

Letter on Hampstead Garden Suburb Care Committee for Refugee Children letterhead addressed to Dr. Max Loewenstein.  The letter informed Dr. Max Loewenstein that the committee had guaranteed a place for Heinrich Loewenstein [Henry Lowenstein] on the Kindertransport.  It further states that Heinrich’s paperwork was received on February 20, 1939 and that the committee will deal with the German authorities. The English Parliament passed a law permitting German Jewish children to settle in England and the Care Committee organized the Kindertransport.  In 1939, Henry was relocated from Berlin on the Kindertransport to safety in England where he remained for the duration of World War II.

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In 1947, Heinrich Loewenstein [Henry Lowenstein] joined his family in the United States after emigrating from England.  It was after the family’s immigration to the United States that they changed their name to Lowenstein. Henry Lowenstein served in the Air Force and then attended Yale University Drama School in 1953.  After graduation he was recruited by Helen Bonfils to design and produce shows for the Bonfils Theatre in Denver, Colorado, later called the Lowenstein Theatre. He also produced plays for the Denver Civic Theatre until his retirement in 1995.

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• Oral History (Denver University)

• Family Stories (Denver University)

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