 1903 - 1956 (53 years)
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| Name |
Lotte Abel |
| Born |
10 Feb 1903 |
Geseke, Germany  |
| Gender |
Female |
| Biography |
My mother was educated at the Jewish grade school in Geseke. She attended a Catholic high school in nearby Lippstadt. Many schools were run by nuns in Westfalia. Later she studied at a Jewish "Pensionat" in Munich. She was introduced to my father by Tante Martha Munden in Hamburg, in July 1924, and married my father on his birthday, 21.9.1926 in Paderborn (Westfalia).
His own father had died in May, and as the last unmarried son, he would have to share his apartment In Hamburg if he hadn't married by 1.10. due to the straightened circumstances at that time in Germany.
My father was a businessman and had a store in Hamburg, "Sporthaus Stern". When Hitler came to power in 1933, he felt that it would only got worse for the Jews, and he decided to emigrate to Morocco. He was able to get some agencies from German manufacturers for that country.
We took the train to Antwerp, and from there sailed to Casablanca, where we arrived on 21.7.1933 (we used.to celebrate July 21 an our"national holiday"). The Nazis started also to arrive in Morocco, trying to incite the Arabs against the French who decided to expel all the German nationals.
My father, in spite of the personal intervention of the Chief Rabbi of Rabat, was also expelled and he left In May 1935 for Tetuan, Spanish Morocco. He had just rebuilt his business when in July 1936 the Spanish Civil War erupted. Actually, Franco started it right in Tetuan.
In June 1937 we moved to Tangier, which was an International Zone. My father suffered from asthma since childhood which the climate in Tangier made worse causing several severe attacks. Due to the war, and to the fact that he was stateless (my father had lost the German nationality in Sept. 1939), he could not travel to a more salubrious climate. He died 13.9.1941 an the same day that he received his stateless Passport allowing him to travel.
My mother contlnued my father's business, although at the time it was unusual for a womain to run a business( she received the first business license ever issued In Tangier by the Moroccan State Bank to a woman)
We used to import Swiss watches, French cutlery, lace and dresses from Switzerland etc.. I helped her until I left for the U.S. in 1949. My mother became ill with Hodgkins disease in May 1955, and I returned to Tangier to stay with her and help with the bussiness. She had a rominnion but died 6.11.1956. [1] |
| Hebrew Birth |
13 Shv 5663 |
| Immigration |
1933 |
Morocco |
| Hebrew Death |
2 Kis 5717 |
| Residence |
Geseke, Germany |
| Residence |
Hamburg, Germany |
| Residence |
Tangier, Morocco |
| Died |
6 Nov 1956 |
Tangier, Morocco |
| Person ID |
I1690 |
Blank Family |
| Last Modified |
18 Feb 2010 |
| Father |
Rudolph Abel, b. 17 Apr 1868, Geseke, Germany , d. 18 Sep 1938, Tangier, Morocco (Age 70 years) |
| Mother |
Cora Grafenberg, b. 8 Feb 1875, Adelebsen, Germany , d. 13 Sep 1904, Geseke, Germany (Age 29 years) |
| Married |
6 Apr 1902 |
Goettingen, Germany |
| Family ID |
F788 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
James Stern, b. 21 Sep 1892, Hamburg, Germany , d. 13 Sep 1941, Tangier, Morocco (Age 48 years) |
| Married |
21 Sep 1924 |
Paderborn, Germany |
| Children |
|
| Family ID |
F790 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
