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Memorial stones for members of the Hellmann family: With the solid stone bronze plaques, the city preserves the memory of Tölzer murder victims of the Nazi terror.
© Hias Krinner
Almost 80 years after the end of the war, descendants of the Tölz Jewish hotelier family Hellmann, who live in the USA, paid a visit to the city.
It is a search for clues into a dark chapter.
Bad Tölz - Even decades after the mass destruction of Jewish life and often until their death, survivors of the Shoah no longer wanted to have anything to do with the places from which they were once expelled or deported.
The mental wounds are too unbearable.
A few keywords: (from left) Second Mayor Michael Lindmair, Benjamin Sherat, Naomi Brauner, Christoph Schnitzer, Raphael Sherat, Melanie Chitwood, Hannah Sherat.
© Hias Krinner
Tölzer journalist and historian Christoph Schnitzer has been researching for years
But now her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were embarking on an encounter with their ancestors' former home in Bad Tölz.
Hannah Sherak from the grandson generation of Paula Hellmann, the youngest sister of hotelier Julius Hellmann, came accompanied by her two sons Benjamin and Raphael, as well as their partners Naomi Brauner and Melanie Chitwood, who now live in New York and New Haven (Connecticut).
The Tölz journalist and historian Christoph Schnitzer made a significant contribution to establishing contact with his years of research.
At the warm and moving reception in the historic meeting room, Hellmann's descendants met with representatives of the city, other guests and high school students from the Gabriel-von-Seidl-Gymnasium, who are working on a short film project on the topic as part of a seminar paper on history.
In memory of the Holocaust victims – the Jewish family thanks Bad Tölz for their welcome
After the memorial service, people gathered outside in front of the city museum, where there are now three new memorial stones for members of the Hellmann family, whose tragic fates have now been clarified.
With the solid stone bronze plaques, the city preserves the memory of all Tölz murder victims of the Nazi terror: Jewish fellow citizens, politically and religiously persecuted people, homosexuals and mentally ill and disabled people alike.
Afterwards, the Tölz journalist and historian Christoph Schnitzer and other Tölz residents went on a private exploration of the city with their guests - looking for traces of the Hellmann family and their former park hotel in the bathing area.
The number seven also has great symbolic meaning in Judaism.
It was no coincidence that seven speeches (mostly bilingual with high school teacher Elisabeth Willis as translator) were aimed at the Jewish guests.
Jewish family with Tölz roots
It started with Mayor Ingo Mehner, who expressed his joy and solidarity that a Jewish family with Tölz roots had made the long journey back to their old homeland.
Aware that it must “never again” happen that people are threatened by exclusion, hatred, war and death, society and every individual must work for peace and counter any aggression.
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For Mehner, this includes treating other people with respect, being willing to listen and being open to different opinions and other lifestyles.
“But the discussions are becoming fewer.
Too many people only represent their own opinions.
But a conversation also includes listening.
None of us own the truth.
You can learn something from almost everyone.
Anyone who believes they know everything will learn little,” said Mehner, recalling the rules in an open, tolerant and humane democratic society.
A painful path in your family history and a dark path in our city's history.
Michael Lindmair, deputy mayor of the city of Bad Tölz
Afterwards, Deputy Mayor Michael Lindmair spoke, who, together with Schnitzer, had put a lot of time into preparing this event.
Lindmair spoke of a “great honor for the city” and expressed his gratitude that Ms. Sherak came to Bad Tölz with her family: it was “a painful path in your family history and a dark path in our city’s history.”
And he thanked Schnitzer, who, with his research and personal commitment, also processes the history of our darkest times and makes it tangible.
Even if the memory of the monstrous crimes of the National Socialists is painful and uncomfortable: it is necessary, emphasized Lindmair, combined “with the promise that we will work every day for more tolerance, compassion and respect, and that we will resolutely combat every form of discrimination and hatred and will do everything we can to ensure that such horrors can never be repeated.”
Extensive research: Historian Schnitzer uncovers the truth about the expulsion of Jews from Tölz
Schnitzer recalled how, as a student, he explored the ruins of Hellmann's “Park Hotel” and how, after an initial report in the Tölzer Kurier about the Jews in Bad Tölz, this topic stuck with him.
Step by step he approached the truth and what actually happened.
Some remarkable twists of fate also brought him closer to his goal: for example, a letter to the editor from the New York Times from Hannah Sherak's father Alfred, who had experienced the expulsion of Jews as a child and identified Bad Tölz as the perpetrator's country.
From there it was still a long way until Hannah Sherak wrote to the Tölzer Tourist Information Office in May 2023.
Schnitzer also found out about this, and with that “all the dominoes fell” - and the history of the Park Hotel and the fate of the Hellmann family could have been traced.
“And that’s why we’re here today,” he emphasized.
Three of the six Hellmann siblings were deported and murdered.
“Today, three new memorial stones are being added to the existing Tölzer memorial stones for 30 murdered people: for Bertha, Julius and Max Hellmann.”
In memory: Hannah Sherak showed photos of her family.
© Hias Krinner
With some family photos in her hand, a visibly moved Hannah Sherak gave a face to the persecuted and murdered as well as the surviving members of her family.
She emphasized that it was not just about the persecuted Jews of that time, but “about all people – including those living today who are discriminated against, hated and persecuted for whatever reasons.”
She thanked the representatives of the city and civil society and especially the young people who gave her family such a warm welcome here.
The Sheraks stayed in Bad Tölz for a day and overnight and then traveled on to Hungary to get to know descendants from their mother's line there too.
Students at the Tölzer Gabriel-von-Seidl-Gymnasium actively cultivate a culture of remembrance
Four high school students took part in the dignified remembrance ceremony: Aviva Hägele, Kilian Widmann, Moritz Gehr and Sara Schott also had their say who represent the young generation and who would like to contribute to cultivating an active culture of remembrance with their ongoing project work.
In doing so, they actively maintain the memory of one of the darkest chapters of history and the fate of the people affected.
Gehr reported an “impressive change in our perception” during the seminar, which was led by teachers Anita Bittner and Julia Rau.
The resulting short film will be shown publicly soon.
Rainer Bannier