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Photos and Documents

The Guggenheim family, the Abeles family, and the Merzbach family

These pictures depict Part I of the book, which shares stories from the author's paternal side of the family (the Guggenheims, the Abeleses, and the Merzbachs). This section opens with the coat-of-arms of the Guggenheim family of Worms and their motto, "With all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our might." These words, which come from Jewish liturgy emphatically define this very old and respected branch of the Guggenheim family, who had been living in Worms since the 1500s. Through this section of the book, we see the coat-of-arms emerge as a proud testament to the strength and cultural dignity of the Jews of Worms, who historically survived and thrived through centuries of persecution and isolation.

The coat-of-arms of the Guggenheim family of Worms The Guggenheim Family, 1921 The Abeles Family Heinrich Abeles Hertha and Erika Abeles Hertha and Willy Guggenheim Wilhelm, Reini, and Fritz Guggenheim Rosa Abeles house, Hamburg Anonymous letter to police Questioning of Wilhelm Guggenheim Arieserung der Firm pg 1 Arieserung der Firm pg 2 Akte Guggenheim pg 2

Heinrich Zwi Guggenheim, a.k.a. Reini, a.k.a. Henry Griffiths - The Army Years

Having fled the Nazis in a Kindertransport when he was almost 16, the author's father, Heinrich Zwi Guggenheim, anglicized his name and became known as Henry Griffiths. Two years later, he joined the British army. During his tour of duty as a British soldier he was sent abroad to fight the Japanese in the Asia-Pacific theatre. After the war Henry returned to London and became an official British subject. The pictures and documents below depict this time in Heinrich Guggenheim's (Henry Griffiths') life.

Heinrich, Army enlistment pg 1 Heinrich, Army enlistment pg 2 Henry, Devonshire Regiment Henry with Black Cats uniform - Welsh Regiment Henry with the Welsh Regiment, Asia-Pacific Henry, Oath of Allegiance, 10 June 1947 Henry Certificate of Naturalization, 4 June 1947

The Guggenheim family, the Griffiths family, and the Simon family - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The intimacy of one's memory: pictures of lives that survived tragic events.

The Guggenheim family newly arrived in Rio.

The Griffiths and the Simon in Rio - joyful times lived after emotionally draining journeys.

Hertha and Wilhelm in Rio Hertha-Willy-Fritz-Marianne 2 Henry My mother posing, Copacabana Beach, Rio, Brazil Helga Ruth Abraham e Henry Griffiths wedding, Rio, 1951 Henry, Helga, Marion and baby Sylvia, Rio, 1958 Henry and Sylvia, 1961, Copacabana, Rio, Brazil Marianne Guggenheim Simon and Helga Griffiths Erich-Marianne-Henry-Helga, Rio Marianne and Henry embraced

The Abrahams, the Kassners and the Rothschilds

Part II of the book shares stories about the author's maternal side of the family (the Abrahams, the Kassners, and the Rothschilds). This chapter of the book conveys the impact of the Nazis' aryanization policies on the Jewish people and the subsequent scattering of Jewish families.

Salomon Abraham during World War I Irene, Erich and Kurt Abraham Joseph Kassner in Berlin Klara in Berlin, 1925 Klara and Erich June 25, 1925 honeymoon in Venice Helga in mixed school - Berlin Helga at birthday party, the birthday girls in the middle. Klara, Erich, Helga and new acquaintances leaving Germany aboard Fritzi Rothschild and her cousin, Klara Abraham

Sgt. Stanley Philip Albert Thomson

"From now on think of me as an old uncle," Stan Thomson said to the author, while sharing an emotional hug at their first meeting. Stan Thomson and Heinrich Guggenheim (Henry Griffiths) became army buddies when part of "The Forgotten Army". The pictures below are of "my old uncle Stan" and his wife, Sheila.

Stan Sheila wedding day Stan and Sheila Thomson

SterniPark and the Old Guggenheim villa

The house at 121 Rothenbaumchaussee, was built in 1890. At the time, it was surrounded by beautiful gardens and situated in an affluent section of Hamburg. This three-story townhouse, which came to be known as the "Guggenheim Villa," was where the author's father, Heinrich Guggenheim, and his siblings were born.

Today this building, whose walls have been witnesses to tragic events, holds a partially government-subsidized day-care facility, called SterniPark, that allows children of lower income families to receive care and education. There is a space in the lower level honoring the Guggenheim family. The newspaper clipping below reported the inauguration of SterniPark's day-care center in January 2011. The ribbon was cut by (l. to r.) Sylvia [Guggenheim] Griffiths, Ivone [Guggenheim] Simon, the U.S. Consul General Inmi K. Patterson, the celebrity entrepreneur Dana Schweiger, and Leila Moysich, SterniPark's representative.

SterniPark day-care center inauguration at the Guggenheim villa Eva R?l, Hamburg, January 2011 Ivone (Guggenheim) Simon and Jens Huckeriede
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