Getrud Reyersbach

Gertrud Reyersbach was born in Oldenburg on July 28, 1907. She lived there with her parents and her brother Kurt at Roggemannstraße 1. The Reyersbach family home is still preserved today. She belonged to the wealthy middle class and came from an economically successful family. The factory "M.L. Reyersbach A.G.", which mainly dealt with machines and household appliances and sold, among other things, bicycles and musical instruments, was located at Damm 4 in Oldenburg and was run jointly by Gertrud's father Paul Reyersbach and his brother Franz Reyersbach. The factory was widely known within the city, so that the company's vehicles were part of Oldenburg's cityscape. Today, the company building no longer exists, as it was demolished in the 1970s. Gertrud's parents placed a great deal of importance on promoting social involvement in their environment and, in this regard, focused on fundamental values and norms in their upbringing. An English nanny was also involved in her upbringing. Gertrud attended the Cäcilienschule from 1917 to 1927, which was initially located at Theaterwall and then moved to Hafenufer in 1923 due to the growing number of students, where it is still located today. There she acquired in February 1927 her Abitur and participated in the same year due to the 60th anniversary of the school in the first associated school festival.

At first, Gertrud studied philosophy. After completing her studies, she took up the study of medicine in Berlin in 1929, which was an unusual choice of study for a woman at that time. However, her parents supported her unconditionally in this step and approved of her decision. During her studies, she developed a special interest in natural sciences. As ever greater sanctions were also being imposed on Jews at the university, she changed her place of study and went to Göttingen.

In Göttingen, Gertrud successfully completed her studies and passed her doctoral examination on May 29, 1935, which qualified her to become a pediatrician specializing in endocrinology and rheumatic diseases.

To complete her studies, she did her practical year at the Pharmacological Institute of the University of Göttingen and at the hospital of the Jewish Community of Frankfurt am Main. However, she was not allowed to practice after completing her studies due to the prohibition of admission for Jews by the National Socialists. During her years of study, Gertrud lost two family members: Her father Paul died of natural causes in 1934. In 1936, her uncle Franz also died, as a result of mistreatment in the concentration camp in Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg.

When the National Socialists came to power in 1933, Germany was no longer a safe place for the Jewish family, which had become clear at the latest after the murder of Gertrud's brother. So Gertru emigrated to Boston with her mother Olga on March 6, 1937, after she had sold the family home and her brother Kurt had already emigrated earlier. However, in order to be recognized as a doctor, she had to work in a hospital in New York in the USA for three more years. After her return to Boston, she also worked in a hospital there and did mainly research. In parallel she practiced in her own practice in Boston.Gertrud distinguished herself by her social commitment and her loving interest in all her patients* and young people in general. For example, Gertrud was involved in teaching undergraduates at Harvard University Medical School. In addition, Gertrud was distinguished by her cosmopolitanism, which was reflected in her equal treatment of people of all religions and social strata.

Gertrud Reyersbach always remained connected with her hometown Oldenburg and visited Oldenburg in 1985 for the unveiling of the street name in memory of her uncle Franz.

Gertrud Reyersbach died on September 02, 1999 in Boston.

The legacy to Gertrud Reyersbach is administered by the physicians Dr. Ulrike Wendt and Volker Wendt from Westerstede and Prudence L. Steiner. The latter is a founding member of the Jewish Women's Archive, where he wrote an article about his friendship with Gertrud Reyersbach. He also published parts of her biography to commemorate her. In addition, the two physicians published an article about Gertrud Reyersbach in their professional publication "Pädiatrie hautnah". In collaboration with a working group and with the consent of the current residents of the house, they arranged for a commemorative plaque to be affixed to Gertrud Reyersbach's childhood home at Roggemannstraße 1, in Oldenburg.