Photos
Henzestrasse #015 and 017
Regensburger Strasse
Herr Samuel und seine Tochter at the opera
Henzestrasse #015 and 017
Regensburger Strasse
Herr Samuel und seine Tochter at the opera
My return to Dresden started on Saturday, 13 October when I met Suzanne at Frankfurt airport for our flight to Dresden. We arrived at Dresden airport and were disappointed that no one was there to meet us as we had been told. No matter we took the train, which goes right into the airport and were soon at Dresden Hauptbahnhof (main station) and saw the hotel about two blocks away. We checked in and as soon as we were in our rooms Frau Jadwiga Schoene (the City’s representative and our tour leader) phoned from the lobby very apologetic that we had missed each other at the airport. She welcomed us and gave us a tour packet. Suzanne and I had adjacent room on the 12th floor with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the old city. Later Suzanne and I met and at the front desk’s suggestion took the tram to Neu Stadt (New Town), which is actually older than Alt Stadt (Old Town) and was not destroyed in the February 1945 bombing. Neu Stadt has crowded narrow streets with many, many restaurants. At the hotel staff’s suggestion we picked ‘Planwirtschaft” on Louisenstrasse, a sort of beer cellar and had a great dinner of three appetizers, which we were not able to finish. Then it was back on the tram to the hotel and so ended our first day in Dresden.
Next day, Sunday; after a huge breakfast at the enormous hotel buffet Lilli met us in the lobby and we started our rediscovery of Dresden. First we took two trams to Grossen Garten (Dresden’s Central Park) and walked to Henzestrasse (Lilli bought us a Family Day Pass, which became very useful) We found where #15 used to stand. This is the house that my Grandfather had built and where my Mother, Father and I lived as well as my mother’s sister (my Aunt Hilde) and her family, and my Grandmother. We took pictures including some of the neighboring buildings. This is still a very desirable area to live. Then two more trams to Munchener Platz and walked to Regensburger Strasse #15. This is where I lived before moving to Hensestrasse and is the site of the picture “8 children in Dresden, November 1935”. Lilli checked with a friend and found that the apartment buildings on this street were destroyed and replaced with buildings of a very similar size and style. Lilli also confirmed that behind the buildings there used to be a fountain or small pond because I remember playing with toy boats.
In the evening there was a reception and dinner in the hotel hosted by Deputy Mayor Tobias Kogge. He told us that he was born near Danzig and had relatives that died in Theresianstadt. He also told us that we were the 14th group of former residents invited back to Dresden; that the Dresden Jewish community now numbers about 750 of which 650 are from the former Soviet Union and the Leipzig Jewish community numbers about 1,200. On Kristalnacht (the night of broken glass) the Dresden synagogue was torched by members of the police and, at that time the City vowed to rebuild it. In 2001 a new synagogue was built with 40% of the cost from the City and almost 60% from the Province of Saxony. Many contributions came from non-Jewish members of the community. I spoke with other members of the group, mostly the same age as myself and was told that in September 1936 at the age of 5, I would have gone straight to the Jewish school located next to the old synagogue. I have a vague memory of going to a Jewish school.
Frau Schoene introduced all of the group members and the rest of the evening was spent on dinner and socializing. Suzanne was a big hit and got to know almost everyone by name. There were several young people, sons and daughters of former residents that Suzanne spent time with.
Next day, Sunday; after a huge breakfast at the enormous hotel buffet Lilli met us in the lobby and we started our rediscovery of Dresden. First we took two trams to Grossen Garten (Dresden’s Central Park) and walked to Henzestrasse (Lilli bought us a Family Day Pass, which became very useful) We found where #15 used to stand. This is the house that my Grandfather had built and where my Mother, Father and I lived as well as my mother’s sister (my Aunt Hilde) and her family, and my Grandmother. We took pictures including some of the neighboring buildings. This is still a very desirable area to live. Then two more trams to Munchener Platz and walked to Regensburger Strasse #15. This is where I lived before moving to Hensestrasse and is the site of the picture “8 children in Dresden, November 1935”. Lilli checked with a friend and found that the apartment buildings on this street were destroyed and replaced with buildings of a very similar size and style. Lilli also confirmed that behind the buildings there used to be a fountain or small pond because I remember playing with toy boats.
In the evening there was a reception and dinner in the hotel hosted by Deputy Mayor Tobias Kogge. He told us that he was born near Danzig and had relatives that died in Theresianstadt. He also told us that we were the 14th group of former residents invited back to Dresden; that the Dresden Jewish community now numbers about 750 of which 650 are from the former Soviet Union and the Leipzig Jewish community numbers about 1,200. On Kristalnacht (the night of broken glass) the Dresden synagogue was torched by members of the police and, at that time the City vowed to rebuild it. In 2001 a new synagogue was built with 40% of the cost from the City and almost 60% from the Province of Saxony. Many contributions came from non-Jewish members of the community. I spoke with other members of the group, mostly the same age as myself and was told that in September 1936 at the age of 5, I would have gone straight to the Jewish school located next to the old synagogue. I have a vague memory of going to a Jewish school.
Frau Schoene introduced all of the group members and the rest of the evening was spent on dinner and socializing. Suzanne was a big hit and got to know almost everyone by name. There were several young people, sons and daughters of former residents that Suzanne spent time with.
Lilli Ulbrich is a long-time member of the ‘Arbeitskreis Gedenkbuch’ an organization of Christians and Jews that produced the Dresden Gedenkbuch’ (Book of Memories) which contains 6000 names and some of the details of former Jewish residents of Dresden. The book consists of 17 volumes plus a Summary. My Mother, Father, Grandmother and I are listed in the Gedenkbuch and I’m in the Summary with a picture. The Summary is available from Amazon Books and other Internet booksellers.
Jadwiga Schoene is Landeshauptstadt Dresden, Amt für Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit (City of Dresden Press and Public Relations Department) She has been tour guide for all 14 of the annual groups of former residents. This group of 35 is the largest ever because one family – the Reizes who brought brothers, sisters, cousins and their children from Israel, the US and Argentina. This family made up about half of our group.The City of Dresden has 11 elected deputy mayors presently running the city; the Lord Mayor is at home having been suspended for financial improprieties in connection with city funds received for disaster relief after the devastating floods of 2002.
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