GEHAUS: Martha GOTTGETREU, 1890-

What We Know:
Family name: Gottgetreu
Given name: Martha
Date/place of birth: 29. May. 1890, Gehaus, Thüringen
Date/place of death: Exact date of death unknown
Age:  52 years old at deportation

Martha Gottgetreu was born on 29 May 1890, the youngest of five living children of Salomon and Rebecka (geb. Rabenstein) Gottgetreu. The Gottgetreu family traced its roots of settlement backat least the mid-1700s in the town of Unsleben in Bavaria and the patriarch, Israel Gottgetreu, geb. 1747 in Unsleben. Israel and his wife Baile had three sons. Nathan, the youngest son, left Unsleben and moved first to Stadtlengsfeld and then on to Gehaus in the mid-1840s. He and his wife, Hanna Appel, had at least two sons: Hirsch, b. 1809 and Salomon, b. 1819. Hirsch Gottgetreu in turn named his youngest son Salomon, born in 1851 in Gehaus.

Salomon married Rebecka Rabenstein and between 1878 and 1890, they had at least five children. (Gaps between birth dates suggest that some children may have died in childbirth or in infancy.) Martha was the youngest child, and fourth daughter. Rebecka Gottgetreu died in 1921 and Salomon in 1923, both in Gehaus; Martha was in her early 30s.

Martha was the only child to remain in Gehaus. Meta (née, 07.1880), her eldest sister, left Germany, sailing on the 23 September 1897 from Hamburg to New York. In the 1900 federal census, Meta was living in New York City, working as a servant. Martha’s other siblings all moved to Frankfurt/Main. In 1912, Johanna (née. 03.01.1886) married Max Israel; they had a daughter, named Martha, in 1918. Hugo (22.06.1878) married Bertha Strauss; it is unknown if they had any children. Selma married Kilian Schmitt, a Catholic, in October 1905; it is possible that she converted to Catholicism as their children were brought up Catholic.

 

Kahles Land-Adreßbuch des Eisenacher Kreises (3. u. 4. Verwaltungsbezirk) u. Benachbarter Orte Deutsche National Bibliothek; Leipzig, Deutschland; Publisher: Hofbuchdruckerei Kahle; Bestand: 1937; Signatur: ZA 929 (Ancestry.com)
Arolsen Archives, 128450617 Martha Gottgetreu
Arolsen Archives, 128450617 Martha Gottgetreu
Johanna on a passenger list. New York, USA to England. The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists.; Class: BT26; Piece: 882; Item: 53 (Ancestry.com)
Arolsen Archives. 70354227, Max Israel. Europa, Registrierung von Ausländern und deutschen Verfolgten, 1939-1947. Max and Johanna (née Gottgetreu) Israel.
Johanna and Max Israel’s daughter, Martha Israel’s US Naturalization. The National Archives at Philadelphia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; NAI-Titel: Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, 1/19/1842 – 10/29/1959; NAI-Nummer: 4713410; Titel des Aufzeichnungssatzes: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Nummer des Aufzeichnungssatzes: 21 (Ancestry.com)
US Passenger list including Martha Israel. Jahr: 1939; Ankunft: New York, New York, USA; Seriennummer des Mikrofilms: T715, 1897-1957; Gesellschaft: 14; Seitennummer: 65 (Ancestry.com)
Selma (née Gottgetreu) and Killian Schmitt’s marriage certificate. Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv; Wiesbaden, Deutschland; Bestand: 903 (Ancestry.com)
Selma Schmitt’s death certificate. Personenstandsregister Sterberegister; Bestand: 903; Signatur: 11191 (Ancestry.com)
Selma and Killian’s son, Friedrich Schmitt’s death certificate. Personenstandsregister Sterberegister; Bestand: 903; Signatur: 11076 (Ancestry.com)

 

Selma and Killian’s daughter, Lina Roscher’s death certificate. Personenstandsregister Sterberegister; Bestand: 903; Signatur: 11159 (Ancestry.com)

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