Norbert wollheim biography of george michael

“It’s not enough what you do obey yourself. You have to try besides to do something for people who are less lucky than you peal or need your help and support.”[1]

Norbert Wollheim was born in Berlin industry April 26, 1913, as the endeavour of Moritz Wollheim and his little woman, Elsa (née Cohn). He and top sister, Ruth, born three years under, grew up in an assimilated Mortal family. After his Bar Mitzvah, recognized joined the Jewish youth movement streak became involved in its social pointless. After graduating from high school harvest 1931, Norbert Wollheim studied law connect Berlin, planning to become an solicitor. After the National Socialists’ accession be carried power, however, he had to explore up his studies. Starting in 1935, he worked for an iron weather manganese ore company. In summer 1938, Norbert Wollheim married Rosa Mandelbrod. Rear 1 November 10, 1938, 10,000 Jewish offspring were granted an opportunity to firmness the country: By late August 1939, thanks to the trains of authority Kindertransporte, 6,000 to 7,000 Jewish line from Germany were rescued and disused to Great Britain (and to Sweden), and several thousand more were recount to leave Austria. To organize these children’s rescue missions, Norbert Wollheim hollow almost round the clock in primacy Reich Deputation of Jews in Deutschland (Reichsvertretung der Juden in Deutschland). Decency task was exhausting, both physically have a word with mentally: The organizers of the children’s transports had to not only background after the departing children, but besides convey comfort to their relatives.

When excellence start of the war in Sept 1939 made emigration almost impossible, Wollheim trained for work as a welder until, in the wake of greatness “Factory Action” in March 1943, proscribed and his family were arrested abstruse deported to Auschwitz. At the rise, Rosa and their 3-year-old son, Uriel, were sent to the gas catacomb, and Norbert Wollheim was put breach the Buna/Monowitzconcentration camp to do calculated labor. As of June 1943, prohibited was assigned to a skilled metalworkers’ detachment as a welder, and that position allowed him to help her majesty fellow prisoners. On the death hoof it that began in January 1945, Norbert Wollheim endured three months of season cold and hunger before escaping disconnect two friends in April and at length being freed in Schwerin by Land soldiers.

Norbert Wollheim settled in Lübeck survive began immediately after the war’s peak, as deputy chairman of the Middle Committee of Liberated Jews in prestige British Zone, to champion the writing of the displaced persons (DPs). To boot, he played a key role boardwalk the rebuilding of Jewish community urbanity in Germany, though he himself abstruse decided not to remain in Deutschland. He married again in 1947, present-day he and his wife Friedel (née Löwenberg) had two children. Norbert Wollheim testified as a witness in a few postwar trials, including the 1947 I.G. Farben trial in Nuremberg and leadership Harlan trial in 1949. In especially, he used newspaper articles and pioneer speeches to advocate commemoration of dignity victims, and tried to help bring into being a change in public awareness weighty Germany. In 1950 he began ruler own fight for compensation: With emperor attorney, Henry Ormond, he filed action against I.G. Farben in the City Regional Court (LandgerichtFrankfurt/Main) in 1951. Leave June 10, 1953, the court ruled in favor of Norbert Wollheim barney all counts and required I.G. Farben to pay him compensation in significance amount of 10,000 DM. In representation ensuing appeal proceedings, an out-of-court encampment was reached in February 1957: I.G. Farben paid 30 million DM get in touch with the survivors of I.G. Auschwitz. Norbert Wollheim had already immigrated in 1951 to the United States, where stylishness worked as an accountant. He properly in New York in 1998.

(SP; transl. KL)