Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Behind the Aegis

(54,874 posts)
Sat Sep 9, 2023, 02:34 AM Sep 2023

(Jewish Group) 'An emotional journey': uncovering the hidden Jewish history behind Berlin's garden c

‘An emotional journey’: uncovering the hidden Jewish history behind Berlin’s garden city

When Stella Flatten bought her terrace house in south Berlin’s Fliegerviertel (aviation district) several years ago, a condition set by the seller was that she would research the history of its first owner.

“It was a big responsibility and whilst part of me wondered why the previous owner hadn’t done it, I willingly embraced the task,” she said.

In between sanding down the original floorboards and uncovering the first layers of paint used to decorate the walls, she has been painstakingly piecing together the life of Gertrud Rothgiesser, a leading Berlin paediatrician and campaigner for better living conditions for city children, who moved into the modest three-storey garden house in 1926 and set up her doctor’s practice on the ground floor.

The experimental Tempelhof garden city – each house having front and back gardens – attracted many progressives, from doctors and social workers to social democrat MPs to architects. Like Rothgiesser, many of them were Jews who saw their idyllic lives uprooted by the Nazi regime.

more...
1 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
(Jewish Group) 'An emotional journey': uncovering the hidden Jewish history behind Berlin's garden c (Original Post) Behind the Aegis Sep 2023 OP
Amazing story. The idea for a museum of exile sounds really interesting. Lonestarblue Sep 2023 #1
Latest Discussions»Alliance Forums»Jewish Group»(Jewish Group) 'An emotio...