Laura Mosbach
* 1876

Laura Mosbach, née Horwitz, born on 1 Feb. 1876, deported on 6 Dec. 1941 to Riga

Laura Horwitz was born as the daughter of Caroline Horwitz, née Meier, and Meier Horwitz in Bünde/Westphalia.

Laura Mosbach and her husband Alfred Mosbach (born on 16 June 1872 in Lüdenscheid) moved to Hamburg only later in life. Their children Harry Herman (born on 6 Mar. 1902) and daughter Hildegard (married name Katz, born on 24 June 1904) were born in Werl.

The family lived in Hamburg-Harburg at Wilstorfer Strasse 7 in a five-bedroom apartment. Until his sixty-second birthday, when he was forced to give up his business on 24 Mar. 1934, Alfred Mosbach worked as a self-employed greengrocer. Laura Mosbach was a housewife.

Subsequently, the couple lived on welfare assistance. Apparently, they supplemented these benefits by subletting rooms. In the course of a physical exam for the welfare office on 24 Mar. 1939, the medical officer confirmed that Alfred Mosbach was “permanently unfit for work.”

On 6 June 1939, Alfred Mosbach applied for an exit visa for himself and his wife to Palestine. At the same time, they had to give up and dissolve their apartment. The emigration files of the Chief Finance Administrator (Oberfinanzpräsident) contain a handwritten letter by Alfred Mosbach dated 23 June 1939, in which he asks to be granted the passport permit until 30 June since he had been ordered to vacate his apartment on 1 July. The inspection of the moving goods for emigration took place without any complaints and on time, and the authority approved the departure. However, the Mosbachs were unable to set out on the journey: The beginning of the Second World War thwarted it. A note in the emigration files dated 30 Nov. 1939 clarifies, “Upon being summoned, Mr. Mosbach appears and explains that he intended to get a British visa to Palestine but that the consulate was no longer in existence by that time. In the near future – in about four to six weeks – he wants to sail illegally aboard a Greek steamer via Vienna and Constanta to Palestine. The baggage will be forwarded by train to Trieste and ordered for delivery from there by Mosbach’s son, who lives in Palestine.”

Even before the start of the war, entry into Palestine had already been subject to restrictive regulations that Great Britain issued as a mandatory power. In addition, Zionists had organized “illegal” immigration (Aliyah Beth): Rented or purchased ships, re-equipped for passenger travel in a makeshift manner, crossed the Mediterranean Sea and put passengers ashore on the coast of Palestine.

After the beginning of the war, this journey became extremely expensive and even more dangerous. Actually, the organizers intended to allow only young, strong, Zionist-oriented men and women to board the ships. The fact that the Mosbachs, over 60 years old, were nevertheless prepared to endure the strains and risks of the journey points to just how desperate they must have been. However, this plan failed as well, we do not know whether for health reasons or because the Mosbachs had no chance to get a spot in light of the thousands of candidates for the few ships still putting out to sea with destination Palestine.

After the eviction from the apartment, the couple was relocated to the so-called “Jews’ house” (“Judenhaus”) at Grindelallee 6. There they lived as subtenants with Edith Horwitz in one room. Alfred Mosbach died one year later, on 21 May 1940.

From Sept. 1941, Laura Mosbach was forced to wear the “Jews’ star” (“Judenstern”) and bear the additional first name of Sara. On 6 Dec. 1941, 65-year-old Laura Mosbach was deported to Riga on the orders of the Secret State Police (Gestapo), Hamburg headquarters.

According to the daughter’s own information, after the deportation she received two or three letters from her mother via the Red Cross. She did not learn when and how she died.

The children Harry and Hildegard managed to emigrate to Palestine on time (Harry in early 1939/Hildegard in 1935). The parents had funded the journey partly through selling their household belongings. Harry died on 11 Nov. 1945. His marriage to Martha Mosbach, née Runzler, remained childless.

Hildegard Katz, née Mosbach, died on 8 July 1961. She left behind her husband Siegfried Katz and their underage son Samuel.

Translator: Erwin Fink

Kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg.