Mendelsohn, Franz: Family correspondence (1915-1936)

Papers of Franz Mendelsohn, 1915-1936, primarily comprising copies of correspondence of a German Jew in London (Mendelsohn), with his wife and friends still in Germany around the time of his arrival in Great Britain, June 1934. Later correspondence (1936) shows evidence of his arrival in Cape Town, South Africa. There is additional evidence which suggests that Mendelsohn must have returned to Germany at some point as his departure with his wife and son is recorded in the 13 Aug 1940 issue of the Deutscher Reichsanzeiger und Preussischer Staatsanzeiger , Nr. 188.

Little is known about the family save for their birth details and the following information gleaned from Franz Mendelsohn's cv dated c 1934. He was born in Breslau, 7 Jan 1899, the son of the lawyer, notary and Justizrat, Salo Mendelsohn. Franz studied law in Freiburg, taking his final examination on 15 Mar 1924 from which date he worked as a lawyer at the regional court at Breslau in a practice with his father until the latter's death in 1929. Then he carried on the practice on his own until 31 May 1933 on which date his right to practise law was withdrawn on account of his Jewish origins. He then worked voluntarily for half a year in a shipping company to gain experience in business and at the same time at the legal protection department of the Breslau synagogue community. He married Charlotte Fraenkel in 1925.

Chronological

Open

Mendelsohn family

Description exists to this archive on the Wiener Library's online catalogue www.wienerlibrary.co.uk.

Entry compiled by Howard Falksohn.

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