The Story of Mathilde Buttermilch from Jelenia Góra

Today’s protagonist is Mathilde Buttermilch – another of the seven individuals whose tombstones have been preserved in the Jewish cemetery in Jelenia Góra (Hirschberg), and whose life stories I want to bring closer. And this tale will be not only about Mathilde but also about her grandson, who gained fame at the age of 100. So, if you ever think you’re too old for something, remind yourself of Hans’s story. But first, let’s return to his grandmother.

Tombstone of Mathilde Buttermilch in the Jewish cemetery in Jelenia Góra / Photo by Marta Maćkowiak

Mathilde Buttermilch née Salisch

Mathilde died on February 1, 1920, in Jelenia Góra (then Hirschberg) in her apartment on Langstrasse, which is now Długa Street, at the age of 74. She was born in Kamienna Góra (Landeshut) as the daughter of the merchant Simon Salisch and Minna née Buttermilsch.

Death certificate of Mathilde Buttermilch / Source: Landesarchiv Berlin

On September 12, 1876, she married Alexander Buttermilch, a trader from Lissa (Leszno), the son of the late Jakob Buttermilch from Landeshut (Kamienne Góry) and Colina née Gottstein, who lived in Leszno before her death. Considering that Mathilde’s mother’s maiden name was Buttermilch and she came from Lissa, there is a high probability that the spouses were related within a certain generation.

Alexander and Mathilde settled in an apartment in the tenement house at Plac Ratuszowy 34 (Markt 34), which would remain their home until their deaths. Alexander passed away first, on March 3, 1907.

Plac Ratuszowy 34 in Jelenia Góra / Source: Polska-org.pl

In the meantime though, let’s go back 29 years, to May 5, 1878, when Elsa, the daughter of Mathilde and Alexander, was born. She would live with her parents until the age of 26, when she decided to marry Max Keilson, the son of Nathan Keilson and Emilie née Mosessohn, a merchant residing in Bad Freienwalde.

They’ll make their home there, managing a lingerie shop, and soon enough, they’ll welcome two children – a daughter and a son, whom we’ll discuss shortly.

Marriage certificate of Max Keilson and Elsa Buttermilch / Source: Landesarchiv Berlin

Hans Keilson – An Extraordinary Centenarian

Hans Keilson, the son of Elsa and Max, was born in 1909. He was a doctor with a passion for writing, and in 1933, he published his first book. Unfortunately, just a few months later, it ended up on the list of books banned by the Third Reich.

Shortly thereafter, due to his background, he was deprived of the ability to practice as a doctor and sustained himself as a sports and music teacher. In 1936, Hans, along with his wife Gertrude, fled to the Netherlands, where he went into hiding while she, a Catholic, gave birth to their daughter, claiming that a “German soldier” was the father.

All three survived. Hans’ sister, who emigrated to Palestine, survived as well. Unfortunately, their parents, Elsa and Max, did not make it. The fact that Max considered himself a German patriot and was awarded the Iron Cross for his service in World War I did not save him and his wife from death in Auschwitz.

Hans never reconciled with this painful loss and dedicated his entire life to working with orphaned Jewish children suffering from post-war traumas. Meanwhile, he continued to write poetry and novels, and his efforts did not go in vain. Hans was rediscovered at the age of 100 when Francine Prose from The New York Times called him a genius, reviewing his two novels written 50 years earlier.

Hans passed away a year later in 2011 at the age of 101. He was buried in Hilversum, the Netherlands. I recommend reading interviews with Hans, the links to which can be found at the end of the article – a wonderful and sensitive individual.

And so, the tombstone of Mathilde Buttermilch, one of the handful preserved in the Jelenia Góra cemetery, allowed us to discover the extraordinary story of an extraordinary person.

Photo of Hans Keilson / Photo by Herman Wouters for The New York Times

young Hans Keilson

Sources:

Landesarchiv Berlin
Polska-org.pl
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/books/04keilson.html
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/weekly-standard/hans-keilson-love-in-hiding
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/nov/21/hans-keilson-novelist-holocaust

The Story of Mathilde Buttermilch from Jelenia Góra

Mathilde Buttermilch née Salisch

Hans Keilson – An Extraordinary Centenarian

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