What follows is an autobiography written by Pauline
"Paula" Löwenstein. Paula was born 1856 in
Rhede, Westphalia. This autobiography was written over a period
of time leading up to 14 January, 1933 when it suddenly ends with
her death. Her youngest brother, the sole remaining sibling at
that time (Oscar) takes up the task in his own autobiography.
Bear in mind that much of this biograph is written at the time Hitler and the NAZI regime are beginning to make big changes in the political and social landscape of Germany. Germany has suffered a devastating period of inflation following WWI. In the name of saving Germany, many of the hateful and descriminatory laws have already been passed such as those that "Aryanized" or forced Jewish businessmen to sell their business to non-Jews.
My source of the manuscript is Ruben Weigert. The manuscript is a transliteration (e.g. Loewenstein for Löwenstein, fuer for für etc.) probably written on an English typewriter without German characters. This manuscript also concludes "Here ends the notes of aunt Paula Transcribed from a barely legible copy from Greta Löwenstein, wife of Fredy (Alfred). Youngest son of Oscar (1868-1939) Kfar Ata, ISRAEL, October 1962". I re-literated the German then translated it and so, there enters much opportunity for mistakes and mis-interpretation. I am not a linguist so the translation is by no means literal but is my best attempt. I have, at times, applied my own liberal translation to sentences. I am no historian either and so my footnotes are entirely my own interpretations of historical facts.
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| S. 1 | P. 1 |
| Wenn ich heute meine Lebenserinnerungen niedershcreibe, so tue ich das aus Betätigungsdrang, ganz für mich, aus dem Wunsche, meinen Kindern und Enkeln, von denen ich so getrennt lebe, Erinnerungen zu hinterlassen. Als ich früher schon mal diesen Beschäftigugnsdrang hatte, sagte Hette zu mir: ``Schreibe einmal Deine Erinnerungen, Du erzählst doch so gerne olle Kamellen´´. Dieser Gedanke faßte wohl Fuß in mir, aber damals erschienen sehr viele Memoiren uns als ich die von Bülow gelesen hatte, deren Liebedienerei mich anekelte, ließ ich den Gedanken fallen. Niemand kann sich selbst beurteilen und ich wollte nicht unwahr werden und in den Erinnerungen nimmt man sich selbst leicht zu wichtig, So warf ich die schon gezückte Feder wieder fort. | Today, as I record my life's memories, I do it solely out of a desire to leave behind for my children and grandchildren, from whom I live so distant, a recollection of my memories. Earlier, when I first considered doing this, Hette said to me "Write down once and for all, your recollections because you recount so well ‘Olle Kamellen'". This thought took root in my mind however at that time so much of my recollection was affected by what I had read by Bülow, and I was so put off that I put it out of my consideration. One cannot be completely objective about oneself and I wanted to be accurate and one can so easily become so self-possessed in memories that I tossed my shaking pen aside. | |
Ich lebte ja damals bei den Kindern und Enkeln, alle waren lieb zu mir, hatten aber ihre Arbeit un Kämpfe. Oft zog ich die Bilanz meines Lebens und es wäre abgerundet gewesen, wenn jetzt nicht viele traurige Ereignisse eingetreten waren. Es starben innerhalb von 1 1½ Jahren 1930-32 fünf meiner Geschwister, Schwager und Schwägerin, und es gab auch geschäftliches Unglück bei mir Nahestehenden. |
At the time, I lived near my children and grandchildren and they were dear to me but they had their own trials and tribulations. On balance, I would have considered my life not too bad, were it not for the many recent tragedies. In a year and a half period, 1930-1932 five of my siblings, my father-in-law and my mother-in-law died and those close to me suffered business failures. |
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Denn kam ich nach Berlin, da meine Kinder in Essen ihr Haus aufgeben mußten. Mit grosser Liebe brachte mich meine Schwiegersohn im Sanatorium unter, wo ich dieses schreibe (14, Januar 1933). Hätte ich vorher meine Memoiren geschrieben, so hätten sie ein happy end gehabt, denn meine Kinder lebten damals alle in auskömlichen und angenehmen sozialen Verhältnissen. Von abgerundet kann heute keine Rede mehr sein. Kein Kind ist mehr in Deutschland infolge der Nationalsozialistischen Umwälzung. Sie haben ihre Existenz in anderen Ländern neu aufbauen müßen. |
So, I came to BERLIN when my children had to give up their home in ESSEN. With a heavy heart, I brought my son-in-law to the sanitarium, where I now write this (14 January,1933). Had I recorded my memories earlier, they would have ended on a happier note because then my children were living in satisfactory and favorable social circumstances. Overall, that is not the case these days. None of my children remain in Germany in the aftermath of the NAZI upheaval. They've had to start their lives anew in other countries. |
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Nun will ich aber, da mir diese Vorrede schon allzulang geraten ist, meinen Lebensgang und den meiner Eltern und Familie, soviel ich davon noch weiß, erzählen. |
Now, although this preface is already too long, I will detail the events of my life and of my parents and family as well as I am able to recall. |
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