What We Know:
Family name: Jacobsthal
Given name: Adolf
Date/place of birth: 7. January 1878, Freystadt
Date/place of death: Exact date of death unknown
Age: 64 years old at deportation
Adolf Jacobsthal was born 7 January 1878 in Freystadt. His parents were Lewin Jacobsthal (1836-1914) and Rosalie geb. Klein. Adolf grew up in a large family, he was one of 9 children. He had six sisters and two brothers.
In 1903 Adolf moved to Kahla with his wife Toni geb. Becker. The date and location of their marriage is unknown.
Adolf and Toni first moved in at Margrethenstrasse 13 where they lived and ran their business, a toy shop. Adolf later decided to expand his business to also include home goods and textiles.
Adolf and Toni had two sons, Siegfried (24. 05. 1904) and Herbert (24.07.1905), both born and raised in Kahla.
Adolf and Toni planned to leave Kahla in 1911, announcing in an advertisement that their shop was closing and that they were moving out of the town. However, the Jacobsthal family ended up staying in Kahla, moving to Salzstrasse 12, and their business continued.
During World War I Adolf was a non-commissioned officer in the German Army, and was awarded the Iron Cross for his service. During the war, Adolf lost his wife Toni who died suddenly on 6 November 1916 at Salzstrasse 12.
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In 1920 Adolf moved once again within Kahla, this time to Roßstrasse 28 where he lived as a single father with his two young sons and ran his business.
In 1922, Adolf Jacobsthal married his second wife, Clothilde geb. Schönthal in Neustadt. Two years after they married they had a daughter, Lotte Sabine born 24 May 1924.
The Jacobsthal family was known in the community for their contributions to economic and social life in Kahla. Adolf would play football with the veterans team of SV Kahla. His two sons were especially talented in football, with Siegfried later moving to Arnstadt and organizing recreational games to play against the SV Kahla team in 1928. Herbert was playing for the SV Kahla men’s team at only 16 years old. Clothilde was remembered by residents of Kahla as being very active in the Red Cross.
Despite the family’s engagement in the community, the early boycotts of 1933 were active in Kahla, having an impact on the Jacobsthal family business. On 1 April 1933 SA men planted themselves in front of Adolf Jacobsthal’s shop in effort to deter customers from supporting his business.
In November of 1938, the nation-wide anti-Jewish actions of Kristallnacht were carried out with enthusiasm in Kahla, where mass demonstrations were held in town and the shops of Jewish businesses were closed, their signs painted white and vandalized with the words “closed due to murder.” The photo below shows Adolf Jakobsthal’s shop after the November Pogrom.
In addition to the destruction of his shop and home, Adolf was arrested and taken to Buchenwald concentration camp on 10 November 1938. He was released and returned to Kahla on 23 November 1938. The Jakobsthal family was forced to leave their home on Roßstrasse 28 and were moved to the established “Jewish barracks” below the Bahnhofs. On 1 January 1939 new laws prohibited Adolf from running his business.
At this time, Jewish citizens living in the barracks were often forced to work in nearby porcelain factories or in the construction of the Hohenwarte Dam. It is likely that this is how Adolf managed to make a small income to support his family after his business was taken from him.
Clothilde Jacobsthal died on 3 May 1942. The cause of her death is stated as a heart attack on her death certificate. Although it cannot be confirmed, the Jacobsthal family would have received the notification of their planned deportation around the time of Clothilde’s death, which likely had an effect on her health and cause of death. Adolf signed off on his wife’s death certificate just days before his deportation.
On 10 May 1942, Adolf Jacobsthal was deported to Belzyce Ghetto. He was the only Jewish resident deported from Kahla to Belzyce. There are no traces of his whereabouts or fate beyond his name on the deportation lists.
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Adolf’s son Herbert was living with his wife Herta (geb. Ziegler) in Berlin. Herta worked as a kindergarten teacher. The couple lived in a small apartment together until the end of 1940’s when they moved in with Herta’s mother Rosa. Near the end of 1942 Herbert was subjected to forced labour doing cleaning services throughout Berlin. On 23 November 1942, Herbert and Herta were forced to sign a declaration of their remaining assets which were declared forfeited to the Reich. They were both deported to Auschwitz on 29 November 1942 on the 23rd Eastern transport. Herbert’s date of death is recorded as 3 January 1943 due to heart failure and intestinal issues.
Siegfried Jacobsthal fled Germany. He married Lea (maiden name unknown) on 15 August 1937 in Breslau where Lea was born. Their last permanent residence before emigrating was in London, England. Siegfried and Lea left on the S.S Veendam ship from Southhampton port on 12 December 1939. They arrived in New York, USA on 22 December 1939. According to the U.S Social Security Death index, Fred Jacobs (Siegfried Jacobsthal) died in New York in May of 1963.
Lotte Jacobsthal also managed to flee Germany. Lotte left Germany in February of 1939 on a Kindertransport and arrived in Sweden on 14 February 1939. She moved to reunite with her brother in the USA after the end of the War in May of 1946. Lotte married Fritz (Fred) Herzberg in May 1950 in St. Louis Missouri. She died young at the age of 31 in 1956. Lotte is buried in Missouri.
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Stolpersteine were laid in 2010 for Hermann, Herta and Herta’s mother Rosa in Berlin.
Stolpersteine were laid for Adolf, Lotte and Clothilde Jacobsthal in Kahla in 2016 at Roßtraße 28.
Sources:
Peer Kösling, “Die Verfolgung und Vernichtung der Kahlaer Juden 1933–1945” (2015) https://demokratieladen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Judenverfolgung.in_.Kahla_Druck_3mm.Anschnitt.compressed.pdf
Stolpersteine Berlin, Bibliography for Herbert Jacobsthal by Wilfried Burkard, https://www.stolpersteine-berlin.de/en/bartningallee/7/herbert-jakobsthal
Siegfried Jacobsthal, Emigration: My Heritage, Ellis Island and Other New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10512-20937050/siegfried-jacobsthal-in-ellis-island-other-new-york-passenger-lists
Photo of Siegfried Jacobsthal: My Heritage, Borchardt-Pincus-Peiser Family Website, managed by François Edouard Cellier, https://www.myheritage.com/site-224678941/borchardt-pincus-peiser-family