Basch, Herta

Herta Berlowitz was born in Elbing on April 12, 1894, the oldest of 5 daughters of Felix Pincus Berlowitz and his wife Franziska née Friedländer. Her sisters were Lotte (1896), Trude (1897), Ilse (1904) and Lucie (1908). Herta married Sigismund Basch in 1914, who manufactured agricultural equipment in Posen. Their children were born in Posen: Hildegard in 1915 and Heinz Hermann in 1920. The family then moved to Berlin, where they lived at Lutherstraße 51 (now Keithstraße 14) in a 6-room apartment. Sigismund Basch lost his employment due to the insolvency of his employer, Herta's father Felix Berlowitz supported the family financially. Sigismund Basch took a job as a representative for Minimax fire extinguishers, Herta felt this was his personal failure. Hildegard was able to emigrate to England in 1939.