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Anneliese Beermann

(1913 Minden - 2005 Port Elizabeth)


The first restitution carried out by the HfJS is a hymn book from 1836, published by the Royal Württemberg Jewish Church Authority. The origin of the book is a result of the 'Law concerning the public relations of Israelite fellow believers', which was passed a few years before its publication. This law was intended to achieve approximate legal equality for Jews. It also served to integrate the entire Jewish community administration into the state apparatus based in Stuttgart.

The book contains three handwritten entries:

Samuel, Marienstr. 14

Franziska Samuel 1908

Anneliese Beermann 1927

At first one would have to assume a Württemberg provenance, but fortunately the label of a bookseller from Minden points directly to the residence of the owners of the book.

The cattle dealer Jonas Samuel (born 1856) and his wife Franziska, née Rosenfeld (born 1861) lived in the Marienstrasse mentioned above. Franziska Samuel died in 1924. Presumably three years after his wife's death, Jonas Samuel passed the book on to her grandniece Anneliese Beermann, born in 1913. He himself died at the age of 86 in the Bielefeld internment camp, shortly before his planned deportation to the extermination camp. Anneliese's father Julius Beermann, also a cattle dealer, committed suicide in 1934.

After Anneliese Beermann was not allowed to fulfill her career aspirations in youth welfare as a Jewess and the family business was boycotted, Anneliese Beermann decided to leave her home country with her future husband Julius Roer. Julius Roer's family had owned a slaughterhouse in Minden and at least through their business connections the Roer and Samuel/Beermann families had been known to each other. Julius Roer received a ticket for the passenger ship 'Stuttgart', chartered by the German-Jewish Board ('Hilfsverein der deutschen Juden'), which was to leave Bremerhaven in October 1936. Julius Roer was to be detained during the inspection at the port, as he was presumably accused of exceeding the exemption limit for foreign currency. Until he left, he hid in the ship's toilet, as he was wanted by the SS. In this way he reached Cape Town, where Anneliese was able to follow him in the spring of 1937 - despite stricter entry regulations for South Africa. In 1938, Anneliese's mother Hennie also reached South Africa.
In autumn 2020 an article about the restitution was published in the 'South African Jewish Report'.


Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Mr. Vinzenz Lübben, M.A. of the municipal archive Minden for his support in researching the data.

We were able to count on the invaluable help of Anne Webber from the Commission for Looted Art in Europe in the search for heirs.


Selected sources

Dirks, Hans-Werner and Kristan Kossak: Professional group falls victim to destruction, in: Mindener Tagblatt, No. 197 of 25.08.1907, p. 10 (See also: http://www.zg-minden.de/mt-zg250807.pdf).

Dirks, Hans-Werner and Kristan Kossak: Spuren jüdischen Lebens in Minden. Einzelschicksale Mindener Juden während des NS-Regimes, Bielefeld 2009.


Link to the copy in the database Looted Cultural Assets.

(Text: Ph. Zschommler)

Titelseite des Gesangbuches von Anneliese Beerman. Zu lesen ist in hebräischen Buchstaben: Sefer Zamirot Jisrael. Dann in lateinischen Buchstaben: Gesang-Buch zum Gebrauch bei dem Unterrichte in der mosaischen Religion und zur öffentlichen und häuslichen Gottesverehrung der Israeliten. Auf Veranstaltung der königl. Württ. israelitischen Oberkirchenbehörde. Mit königlich Württembergischem Privilegion. Stuttgart Hallbergersche Verlagshandlung.
Title page of the hymn book
HFJS Heidelberg
Man sieht ein Stück vergilbtes Papier mit zwei unterschriften darauf. Oben steh Franziska Samuel und darunter 1908. Dann mit etwas Abstand dazwischen weiter unten steht Anneliese Beermann und daraunter 1927
Notes of ownership in the book by Franziska Samuel and Anneliese Beermann
HFJS-Heidelberg
Porträt von Anneliese Beermann mit ihrer Mutter Hennier, schwarz weiß
Anneliese with her mother Hennie
HFJS Heidelberg
Der Grabstein von Anneliese Roer geborene Beerman, er ist aus einem schwarzen Stein der auf einem Sockel aus demselben Material auf dem der Familienname ROER eingraviert ist. Auf dem Grabstein ist neben einem Davidstern und Hebräischer Inschrift folgendes eingraviert: ANNI ROER 25th Sept.1913-8th Aug.2005; In loving Mermory of our feisty Mother, Grandmother and great-grandmother. Sadly missed by her Children Eve & Perry Grandchildren Janice & Mark, Debbie & Garry, Kevin & Ashley. Great-Grandchildren Justine, Daniel, Greg and Micheal. A dignified Lady to the End. M. H. D. S. R. I. P.
Anneliese Roer's gravesite in Port Elisabeth
HFJS-Heidelberg
Anneliese Roer und ihre Tochter Evelyn Hurwitz besuchten 1989 Minden auf Einladung der Stadt. Man sieht beide beim Besuch der Stadt vor einem Gebäude, dem Anwesen Ihrer Mutter in der Königstraße 72, welches diese 1938 verkaufen musste um die sog. Reichsfluchtsteuer für die Ausreise aufbringen zu können.
Anneliese Roer and her daughter Evelyn Hurwitz visited Minden in 1989 at the invitation of the town. Anneliese's mother Hennie had to sell the family property at Königstraße 72 in 1938 in order to be able to pay the so-called Reich Flight Tax to emigrate.
HFJS - Heidelberg
Man sieht Frau Debbie Meyer beim Auspacken des Pakets in einem Park in Johannesburg. Sie wirkt sichtlich erfreut über das Gesangbuch Ihrer Großmutter. Welches ihr von der HFJS zugesandt wurde.
In May 2020, we were able to locate Anneliese's granddaughter Debbie Meyer in Johannesburg as an heiress and sent her the book soon afterwards. She allowed herself to be filmed unpacking the postal item and sent us the video, which was a pleasant surprise.
HFJS-Heidelberg