Claire, Leo's wife, was a cousin of the three Sichel sisters (the wives of Max and David). On the 23rd of March 1942, the 58 year old Klara Katzenberger was deported to Izbica am Wieprzkreis Krasnystaw district Lublin. Izbica was a transit camp, just a few miles away from the Belzec death-camp with its gas chambers. The exact date of her death is unknown. |
In Köln, Leo had a paint-factory, in partnership with a Mr.Hecht. His two elder brothers,Dave and Max,meanwhile founded the firm "D&M Schuhwaren" in Nuernberg. Then they called upon Leo to join them. Leo and Claire lived in Spichernstrasse , and their two daughters were born in that house. |
In Köln, Leo had a paint-factory, in partnership with a Mr.Hecht. His two elder brothers,Dave and Max,meanwhile founded the firm "D&M Schuhwaren" in Nuernberg. Then they called upon Leo to join them. When in 1912 they moved from Koeln to Nuernberg , Leo and Klara Katzenberger first lived in a rented flat in Bucherstrasse 19. David K. also lived nearby, in the same street (Nr.23). Later , in 1918, Leo and Max bought the house in Praterstrasse 23. Max K. lived downstairs , and above him Leo and his family. In the upper floor a flat was rented to a Jewish doctor , Dr.Brandeis , and his family. |
On the 23rd of March 1942, the 57 year old Klara Katzenberger was deported to Izbica am Wieprzkreis
Krasnystaw district Lublin. Izbica was a transit camp, just a few miles away from the Belzec death-camp with its gas chambers. In a telegram dated August 1942, DK wrote : "Clara Katzenberger now at Lublin Generalgouvernement block 1409 Izbica. Last letter from April informing everybody well, also big Clara." After this letter from April 1942, nobody ever heard from the Katzenbergers in Izbika. Between March and June of 1942, most of the Jews from Nuernberg were deported to Izbica. Between April and June 1942, when the ghetto of Izbica was liquidated, there were several transports to the death camps Belzec and Sobobor. The date of Klara's death is unknown. Camp Belzec was liquidated by the Nazis in December 1942. _____________________________________________________ Izbica: Historians consider Izbica a "Holding camp for Belzec. A few hundred Jews from the towns of Furth,Nurnberg and nearby Jewish communities were on March 22, 1942 deported to Izbica. Many died or were murdered in Izbica, many more were shipped to Belzec. (Thanks to Willie Glaser for these informations) ______________________________________________________________ An eye-witness testimony about camp Izbica was given by Jan Karski, member of the Polish underground, and published in his book "Story of a Secret State" in 1944. In 1942, disguised as a Nazi guard, Karski sneaked into the Izbica death camp in eastern Poland and twice entered the Warsaw Ghetto, where he witnessed mass killing and the torture of Jews. He brought his story to the West, briefing political and religious leaders in London and then meeting personally with President Franklin Roosevelt. _______________________________________________________________ Izbica Izbica was a small town with ghetto in eastern Poland near Lublin. The ghetto was liquidated in June of 1942 with most residents being shipped to the extermination camp in nearby Sobibor . Of 449 Nurembergers sent to Izbica or Krasniczyn, both in Krasnystaw County, none survived |