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At ul. Klonowica 6 in Jelenia Góra, formerly Contessastrasse 6 in Hirschberg, there was a bakery owned by Paul Betterman—but he isn’t the focus of today’s story. On July 11th, 1942, at 8:30 AM, 54-year-old Paul passed away. The cause of death was clearly detailed in his death certificate: heart muscle damage, arteriosclerosis, and liver disease. Originally from Bolków (Bolkenhain), he was the son of Wilhelm and Pauline, and he left behind his widow, Berta Minna.
Paul Bettermann’s death certificate / Source: The State Archive in Wrocław, Jelenia Góra branch
That same year, the John family took over the business. Reinhold John, the son of Fritz and Martha, wrote in his memoirs that in the late 1930s, they moved to Jelenia Góra from Neustädtel, now known as Nowe Miasteczko in the Lubusz Voivodeship. They first settled at Äussere Burgstrasse 31(now Podwale), where they ran a small wood-fired bakery. Reinhold remembers that the conditions were difficult—the leaky attic of their home, where they kept a galvanized bathtub, doubled as both a bathroom and laundry room.
Reinhold John in front of Paul Betterman’s bakery building, circa 1942 / Source: Reinhold John’s memoirs
In 1944, 10-year-old Reinhold, like other kids his age, was required to join the Hitler Youth. Meetings were held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He recalls that in May and June, they collected potato beetles that had been dropped on Jelenia Góra and burned them in the school basement. They also took part in field games, one of which involved putting a brick in a student’s bag and having the others chase him.
One of the most memorable moments in Reinhold’s life was when the Red Army entered the city on May 8th, 1945. In his memoirs, he describes how his family, along with other residents, tried to flee toward the mountains, taking only the essentials. During their escape, they saw houses on fire and gunfire broke out, forcing them to take cover in a roadside ditch.
After reaching Stonsdorf (now Staniszów), the family found temporary shelter with relatives, which allowed them to spend the night in relatively safer conditions. The next day, they decided to return to Hirschberg and were surprised to find the bakery still intact.
When the region officially came under Polish control, the John family, like many others, faced forced relocation.
Children in Hitler Youth uniforms, with an Italian worker on the right
In 1946, the John family received a deportation order. Reinhold, his parents, and two grandmothers set off with their few belongings on a long trip to the transit camp in Hartau. On June 27th at 3:00 PM, they left in cattle cars, and a local artist drew Rübezahl, the Spirit of the Mountains, on the front car to accompany them on their journey.
After arriving in West Germany, Reinhold’s life started to stabilize. Despite numerous challenges, his family worked hard to rebuild their lives. Reinhold became a carpenter, got married, and raised three sons, all of whom, he notes, went on to achieve success in their own lives.
Contemporary view of the building at ul. Klonowica 6 in Jelenia Góra / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
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Karl Gottlieb Troche, a sanitary doctor, owned the remarkable building located at pl. Piastowski 11 in Cieplice Śląskie-Zdrój (formerly Hirschbergerstrasse 11 in Bad Warmbrunn).
Building at pl. Piastowski 11 / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
Karl was born on April 24th, 1860, in Laskowice Oławskie (Laskowitz kres Ohlau) as the son of Johann Troche, a retiree and landowner, and Susanna née Maskos. He didn’t stay in Laskowice for long, as he decided to pursue a medical career.
At the age of 27, on May 3rd, 1887, Karl married Gertrude Menzel from Legnica in Cieplice (Warmbrunn). She was the daughter of the late hotel owner Hermann Menzel and Minna née Bruchman. The couple had three children: two daughters, Edith Irmgard and Ilse Susanne, and a son, Walter Kurt Gerhard. Edith married Dr. Johannes Fleck from Kostrzyn (Custrin), who lived in Sokołowsko (Görbersdorf) and likely worked at the renowned sanatorium there. Ilse married Pastor Martin Friedrich Mueth from Hartenstein, who resided in Großdalzig. Walter Kurt Gerhard followed in his father’s footsteps and became a royal spa doctor.
Marriage certificate of Karl Gottlieb Troche and Gertrude née Menzel / Source: The State Archive in Wrocław, Jelenia Góra branch
Karl Gottlieb Troche passed away on September 22nd, 1915, at 1 a.m. in his apartment in Cieplice at the age of 55. His tombstone has survived to this day and is one of the few remaining from pre-war times at the municipal cemetery in Cieplice.
Karl Troche’s death certificate / Source: The State Archive in Wrocław, Jelenia Góra branch
Karla Troche’s tombstone / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
According to the 1930 address book, Karl’s son, Walter, lived at Hirschbergerstrasse 13, literally across the street—in the building that now houses the police station. Walter’s mother, Gertrud, also lived there, along with Josef Wunder, a glass grinder. Meanwhile, at Hirschbergerstrasse 11, now pl. Piastowski 9, residents included, among others, the blacksmith master Bruno Wanka, likely with his wife Emma, and a widow, Alwine Knappe.
Police station at the former Hirschbergerstrasse 13 / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
I don’t know about you, but I am always amazed by this building.
Details – building at pl. Piastowski 11 / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
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On October 25th, 1895, Frida Singer went to the Civil Registry Office in Kowary to report that her younger brother had passed away the day before. Fritz Singer, the son of Julius and Amalie Singer (née Peter), was just six years and two months old. His tombstone is one of the few that remain in the Jewish cemetery in Jelenia Góra.
Photo of Fritz Singer’s tombstone, Jelenia Góra, 2012 / Source: Fotopolska.eu
Fritz Singer was born on November 25th, 1888, in Kowary, which was then called Schmiedeberg and is located less than twenty kilometers from Jelenia Góra (Hirschberg). Kowary, like other nearby towns, was part of the Jewish community of Jelenia Góra. Fritz was the youngest of nine children born to Julius and Amalie Singer.
The family lived in a tenement at Markt 10, now ul. 1 Maja 19. Julius Singer was an enterprising man—he ran the inn “Under the Golden Lion” (Zum Goldenen Löwen) in the same building, reminders of which can still be seen in the form of the decorative lion heads on the doors. He also owned a local distillery and a fruit juice factory, which was said to produce the best mountain raspberry juice in the area.
The building where the Singer family lived / Photos by Jowita Selewska
Advertisement from 1884
Julius Singer was born on February 6th, 1849, in Kluczbork (Kreuzburg), the son of Samuel Singer, a horse dealer from Krasków (Kraskau), and Friederike, née Wendriner. On April 19th, 1876, he married Amalie Peter in Trzciel (Tirschtiegel), the daughter of Lewin Louis Peter and Seraphine, née Kirsch. Within a year, they moved to Kowary, where their first child, Alphons, was born on July 26th, 1877. The family faced difficulties—Alphons died after just six months, and their next son, Bernhard, passed away shortly after birth on May 13th, 1878. The family later had Max, Elfriede, and Hans—who lived only a year—followed by Willy, Elsbeth, Martha, and finally Fritz, through whom we learn about the Singer family’s story.
Amalie Singer passed away prematurely on February 26th, 1891, at just under 39 years old, leaving her husband with six children. Less than a year later, Julius decided to marry Minna Rothenberg from Rawicz (Rawitsch), the daughter of merchant Selig Rothenberg and Pauline, née Birnbaum. The wedding took place on February 2nd, 1892, in Wrocław (Breslau), where Julius would start his business ventures in the 1920s.
Death certificate of Fritz Singer / Source: The State Archive in Wrocław, Jelenia Góra branch
As early as 1912, Julius Singer is listed in the address books at Gartenstrasse 63 (now Piłsudskiego Street, near the Capitol Musical Theater) as a distiller. Later, the address book for the Jewish community in Breslau also includes his youngest and only son from his second marriage, Siegmund Singer, and his wife Erna, née Kohn, at the same address. Julius likely passed away in 1932 and was buried in the new Jewish cemetery on Lotnicza Street in Wrocław. His wife Minna probably died earlier, as she does not appear on the address list of community members.
Julius Singer in the address book of the Jewish community in Breslau (Wrocław)
Siegmund lived at Gartenstrasse 63 until the start of the war. He managed to escape to Shanghai and then arrived in San Francisco on September 17th, 1946, aboard the USS General W. H. Gordon. At fifty-one, he came to the United States to start a new life. According to the 1950 census, he settled in Milwaukee with his second wife, Sara, who was from Poland, and went into the antiques business. He passed away on December 18th, 1968.
It’s not known what happened to the rest of Fritz’s siblings.
Passenger list with the name Sigmund Singer
I’d like to thank Jowita Selewska for her help in finding the current address in Kowary.
The text appeared in the magazine Chidusz, issue 3/2023.
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Another remarkable figure lived at Hirschbergerstrasse 310 (later Hirschbergerstrasse 10), today known as Plac Piastowski 12. On November 9th, 1872, in Villa Bellevue, Wilhelm Seydelmann and his wife Augusta, née Schall, welcomed a baby boy, whom they named Martin Gustav Adolf Armin.
Armin Seydelmann / Source: Wikipedia
As he grew older, he would go by the last of his given names, Armin, and follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Karl Seydelmann, a well-known 19th-century actor. In 1894, he began his career on the stage at the Coburg-Gotha theater, and over the next 13 years, he performed in numerous German theaters, including those in Lübeck, Sondershausen, Barmen, Erfurt, and Bremen, where he served as the director of the local municipal theater.
On August 8th, 1906, in Dresden, specifically in the Blasewitz district, 34-year-old Armin married Susanna Emilia Mathilde von der Osten, the daughter of theater actor Emil von der Osten, whose remarkable life story could be the subject of a separate post or even a book.
A photograph of Susanne von der Osten and the marriage certificate of her and Armin Seydelmann
The couple settled in Vienna, where they both worked at Austria’s leading theater, the Burgtheater. Armin was there from September 1907 until 1932, while Susanne worked there from 1910 to 1923. Starting in 1912, Seydelmann also became a professor at the Vienna Conservatory (Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien).
Between 1919 and 1925, Armin also appeared in several films, usually playing roles of aristocrats and notable figures.
The von der Osten sisters, from left to right: Vali, Eva and Susanne
Armin’s father, Wilhelm, passed away in Cieplice (Warmbrunn) on August 25th, 1888, and his mother died on December 23rd, 1921, at the age of 91. Although Seydelmann had been connected with Austria for decades, the estate in Cieplice stayed in the family—it was still listed in the address book at Hirschbergerstrasse 10 in 1939. Perhaps Cieplice served as his summer residence, as it did for many.
Armin Seydelmann died on July 28th, 1946, in Spittal an der Drau, Austria.
Entries for Villa Bellevue in the address books over the years
Truly, Cieplice used to be home to many distinguished individuals.
Villa Bellvue currently / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
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Historical view of the guesthouse / Source: polska-org.pl
Who was Eliza, or rather Elise? Judith Eliseba Höniger was born into a Jewish family on October 9, 1854, in Zülz, now Biała in the Opole Voivodeship. She was the daughter of David Höniger, a doctor from Rybnik, and Henrietta Jetty (née Fröhlich) from Gliwice (Gleiwitz).
She was the oldest of three siblings, which may have influenced her later career. Her brother Gideon was born in 1858, her sister Sara in 1860, and her youngest brother, Ruben, was born on February 2, 1864, but sadly passed away three months later.
Contemporary view of the building / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
According to the records of the W. Schimmelpfeng Information Bureau, the complex in Jagniątków was built in the 1890s. The 5-hectare property included buildings, a park garden, and a farm with 4 horses, cattle, and pigs. The guesthouse was a well-known Jewish educational center, renowned for its excellent reputation and high level of teaching. The staff consisted of about 10-12 people.
According to a 1925 guidebook, one of the buildings was used by parents visiting their children.
Advertisements and documents related to the Eliza Höniger guesthouse
Elise Höniger never married or had children and passed away in Jagniątków on April 18, 1915, at the age of 61. She was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Wrocław on Ślężna Street. After her death, the guesthouse was managed by her sister, Sara, and her niece, Frieda. The center continued to operate actively until the war. On August 17, 1942, Sara and Frieda were deported in the first transport for elderly people from Berlin to Theresienstadt, where they were murdered.
Death certificate of Eliza Höniger, transport list containing the names of Sara and Frieda, Frieda’s transport card, and death certificate of Sara / Source: The State Archive in Wrocław, Jelenia Góra branch
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Helene Lange’s tombstone in the cemetery between Michałowice and Piechowice / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
First page of the marriage certificate of Helene Schultze / Source: State Archives in Wrocław, Jelenia Góra branch
Excerpt from the Sopot address book, 1922
On April 30, 1920, Helene arrived at the Civil Registry Office in Sopot to report that her father, Georg Schultze, a secret government official born in Gdańsk (Danzig), son of Philipp, also a secret official, and Henrietta née Hoffmann, had passed away the day before, on April 29 at 7:30 PM, at the age of 78.
Georg Schultze’s death certificate / Source: State Archives in Wrocław, Jelenia Góra branch
From the address books, we know that in 1922 Helene was still living in Sopot, and her husband had been promoted to the rank of major. After 1926, they vanish from the records. Did they move to Lower Silesia during that time? Or did they live in various places due to Adalbert’s military career before settling at the foot of the Karkonosze Mountains? Was Helene’s husband also buried in the same cemetery? What brought them here, and was it connected to the popular beliefs in Old Germanic traditions of that era?
The villa where Helene Lange (née Schultze) lived / Source: Google Maps
I’ve gathered some new information and now have even more questions. I couldn’t find the Lange couple in the 1941 address books of Piechowice. So far, I haven’t been able to uncover anything more about Adalbert’s military career. I’m waiting for a response from the Civil Registry Office regarding Helene’s death certificate—maybe this document will shed light on where she lived before her passing and if there were any descendants.
Perhaps you can contribute something of your own to this story?
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Tombstone of Martha Senftleben at the cemetery between Michałowice and Piechowice / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
Martha Binner was born in Niemcza (Nimtsch) on October 1st, 1859, as the daughter of Herman Oswald Binner, a master painter, and Ernestine Dorothy née Burgstadt, both Evangelicals. She married Bruno Senftleben, a technician from Świdnica (Schweidnitz). The couple settled in his hometown and had one son, Herbert, and one daughter, Margarethe. The years 1916 and 1917 proved tragic for Martha – first her husband passed away, followed shortly by her 22-year-old son, who died on August 8th, 1917, on the front in Bukovina. Interestingly, Herbert’s death was registered in Piechowice, where he was said to reside before his death, while according to the record, his mother still lived in Świdnica. I suspect he might have been staying with his sister, who married Alfred Georg Poludniok, a writer, in Piechowice in 1915.
Gravestones at the cemetery between Michałowice and Piechowice / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
Going back to Martha – we know she passed away on December 25th, 1939. According to her death certificate, she passed away in her apartment in Piechowice (Petersdorf) 96, and her religion was listed as… Deutsche Gotterkenntnis, which literally translates to German Knowledge of God. And now the most intriguing part begins.
Death certificate of Martha Senftleben / Source: The State Archive in Wrocław, Jelenia Góra branch
The religious movement Deutsche Gotterkenntnis was established by the controversial General Erich Ludendorff and his wife Mathilde von Kemnitz (Spiess). In the early 1920s, Erich was dubbed “the most dangerous man in Germany” and by others – the forefather of Nazism. He was the author of the controversial book “The Total War”, wherein he asserted that Germany’s fundamental objective was perpetual war and conquest.
In 1924, Erich established the Tannenbergbund association, which focused on political activities and “promoted a mystical pantheism with a Germanic-racist flavor.” In 1926, he married his second wife, Mathilde, a psychiatrist, who took charge of the religious aspect of Tannenbergbund – Deutschvolk, founded in 1930. Mathilde formulated its ideological principles, which were pantheistic, anthropocentric, and nationalist. The movement was extremely right-wing, anti-Semitic, and anti-Christian, to the point that even the NSDAP was considered too soft on this faith for them. Despite her involvement in the volkist movement, Mathilde opposed occultism and astrology, labeling them as a “Jewish distortion of astronomy,” and criticized theories suggesting the Indo-European origin of Germans. She aimed to create a new, genuine German religion.
Erich and Mathilde Ludendorff
Because some of her views were extremely radical and bordering on conspiracy theories, the movement wasn’t universally regarded as credible. Mathilde Ludendorff asserted, among other things, that the Dalai Lama was guiding Jews in their supposed efforts to undermine Germany through Marxism, Catholicism, capitalism, and Freemasonry. She argued that Christian beliefs were incompatible with the Aryan ideal and that the Bible and Christianity themselves were fraudulent.
Despite this, in the early 1930s, the community boasted 320 local groups comprising approximately 15,000 members across the Reich. In 1933, the movement was outlawed by the authorities, but just 4 years later, in 1937, Erich gained approval to revive the religious movement, this time under the name Deutsche Gotterkenntnis, which continued the legacy of Deutschvolk. Consequently, German Knowledge of God became a state-sanctioned belief.
Erich passed away at the end of that same year. Meanwhile, in 1951, Mathilde established the Association for Gotterkenntnis, which had 12,000 members, and in 1955, she also founded a school. The association faced another ban from 1961 to 1977. It continues to operate today; as of 2010, it reportedly had around 240 members.
Erich and Mathilde Ludendorff
And circling back to the Karkonosze Mountains – new findings raise new questions. How did Martha become involved with Deutsche Gotterkenntnis? Could it be linked to her son-in-law’s artistic profession? Where did the community meetings take place? Did all those buried in Michałowice belong to the same movement, or perhaps different ones? Hopefully, we’ll uncover the answers soon!
In 1927, at 70 Hermsdorferstrasse in Bad Warmbrunn (now Cieplicka 70 in Cieplice Śląskie-Zdrój), lived Josef Galle, a senior tax secretary, Ernst Kuhlig, a chimney sweep, and Max Klein, a porter.
Contemporary view of the building / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
The first page of Ernst Kuhlig’s marriage certificate / Source: Landesarchiv Berlin
In 1939, Agnes Ludwig, a widow, resides in the villa alongside Bishop Fritz Kessel, who will be staying there at least until 1941. Upon further investigation, it seems likely that this refers to the controversial clergyman who, among other things, co-founded the pro-Nazi religious movement known as Deutsche Christen (German Christians). Fritz Kessel, born on March 10, 1887, pursued studies in Protestant theology at Königsberg (Królewiec), Heidelberg, and Breslau (Wrocław).
Address book from Bad Warmbrunn, 1941
After his studies, he participated in World War I. In 1917, he was ordained as a priest, and three years later, in 1920, he was sent to Brazil where he served as a pastor in Badenfurt (Santa Carolina). After another three years, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, and in 1925, he returned to Germany. He then became a parish priest in Parchwitz (Prochowice), and in 1928, he additionally took on a role in the parish of St. Nicolai in Berlin-Spandau. In 1932, he co-founded the aforementioned Deutsche Christen movement, and in 1933, he was appointed Bishop of East Prussia with headquarters in Königsberg – against the will of Gauleiter Erich Koch.
Archival photo of the building / Source: Fotopolska eu
Contemporary view of the building / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
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Villa Martha currently / Fot. Marta Maćkowiak
Archival photos of the building. On the left, a view from the garden side / Źródło: Polska-org
And that’s it. The trail has gone cold for now. At least I got some practice taking photos with the camera.
Contemporary view of the building / Fot. Marta Maćkowiak
Do any of you happen to know any stories about this building? Post-war tales are welcome too; feel free to share them in the comments!
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View of the Wilhelmshöhe villas from ul. Ludwika Hirszfelda / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
Ludwig Raschdau / source: Wikipedia
Death certificate of Christine Raschdau / source: Landesarchiv Berlin
Death certificate of Ludwig Raschdau / source: Landesarchiv Berlin
After the war, the villas belonged to the Polish Red Cross, and there was a training and recreation center here. And today? The sight is heartbreaking.
View of the Wilhelmshöhe villas from ul. Ludwika Hirszfelda / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak
View of the villa in the past / source: Fotopolska.eu
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