Moses Katzenberg

Moses Katzenberg was one of five children of the married couple Isaak (1882-1943) and Jettchen Katzenberger, née Katz (1890-1941) and was born on September 25, 1912 in Guxhagen (Hesse). On August 10, 1938, he married Sophie Katzenberg, née Baum (1915-2010) in his birthplace Guxhagen. Together they had two children. Son Isaac was born in 1946. Daughter Judith followed just one year later. Moses passed away in December 1980 and his wife Sophie on November 10, 2010 in London.

Moses Katzenberg was a teacher of Hebrew and natural history as well as Israelite religious education. The director, Buchheim, of the Jewish elementary school in Dortmund, at which Katzenberg worked among other things, expressed himself in a letter of recommendation in 1937 as follows:

"With diligence and responsible conscientiousness Mr. K. discharged the task assigned to him. In the treatment of the material he showed a good methodical skill, in the treatment of the children a psychological sensitivity, so that he had to struggle with no disciplinary difficulties. [...] The teaching staff and the students did not like to see him leave us.

In the years 1931/32 Katzenberg attended the teacher training college in Würzburg and underwent the so-called "final examination for teacher training colleges". He graduated with an overall grade of "commendable" and was declared capable of entering the preparatory service. In an assessment, 1931/32, to an introduction to gymnastics held by him, it says:

"In the teaching rehearsals he showed very great teaching skill, lovingly he treated the children". In addition, "[his] serious, moral-religious way of life and his winning appearance [...]" are mentioned appreciatively.

From 15 June 1936 to 08 January 1937, the teacher was active in several classes of the Israelite elementary school in Kassel. In a letter of recommendation requested for his later work as a teacher in Oldenburg in 1937, the main teacher Moses expresses particular praise for Katzenberg's abilities in the Hebrew disciplines, which he "[...] mastered perfectly both orally and in writing, imparted valuable knowledge to the students and achieved good teaching results." Subsequently, with the approval of the Arnsberg government, he took up a substitute position at the Jewish elementary school in Dortmund until February 12, 1937. There he was in charge of the 8th grade and "[...] gave specialized lessons in Hebrew and natural history in two [other] classes."

[All quotations are from various sheets of the file Rep 410 PA Akz. 116 Nr. 75 of the Landesarchiv Oldenburg.]

After Moses Katzenberg lived in Spangenberg near Kassel from 1932 to 1937, he moved to Oldenburg, where he initially lived at Kaiserstraße 3 for just under a year and continued to work as a teacher as well as a cantor. Within Oldenburg, however, he moved several times. From June 1938, he was initially registered at Peterstraße 6, where at that time the community center of the Jewish School had its location until the end of 1938. From 1939, the community center was moved to Nordstraße 2, which also became Katzenberg's second registration address. He then lived at Achternstraße 33, then again at Nordstraße 2, and finally at Johannisstraße 33.

As of October 14, 1937, Katzenberg was appointed to head the public Jewish elementary school in Oldenburg and to teach 1st grade (ages 6 to 8). He received a basic salary of RM 2,000 and a housing allowance of RM 444, which corresponded to a monthly salary of RM 162.93 (equivalent to about 39.74 euros). In the course of a teaching visit in November 1937, the district school board remarked on Katzenberg's teacher personality that he seemed to be suitable for the management of the school. However, the school was still inadequately equipped. It lacked furnishings such as a blackboard and light fixtures, as well as teaching aids such as maps. According to the documents, the condition of the school described here improved by March 1938. In a report by the school board dated October 26, 1938, it is stated that the pupils were deliberately "trained for emigration" (File Rep 410 PA Akz. 116 No. 75, Landesarchiv Oldenburg).

On November 09/10, 1938, Moses Katzenberg was arrested and subsequently taken into "protective custody" in the Oldenburg court prison. The Oldenburg state archives contain a letter from the mayor, dated the following day, stating that Moses Katzenberg and Alexander Freund had resigned from their positions at the Jewish elementary school on November 10, 1938, and would not be returning to teaching in the near future.

Katzenberg was deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, where he remained from November 11 to December 29, 1938. The school board of the city of Oldenburg stopped his salary payment at the end of November and justified this with Katzenberg's stay in prison. As a result, Moses' wife Sophie had difficulty making a living.

But at the beginning of the following year, the teacher was once again entrusted with the management of the Jewish elementary school. He was also paid in arrears the remuneration he had previously forfeited. However, Katzenberg received an immigration permit for England on June 11, 1939, he then resigned from his post and finally emigrated to London with his wife on July 17, 1939.

In 1951, Katzenberg asserted salary and pension claims through a lawyer he had hired. Since he was not entitled to these due to his employment relationship, the possibility of reinstatement in the elementary school service was examined instead. However, there were no more Jewish elementary schools in Lower Saxony at that time. Katzenberg agreed to accept the offer of employment at a community school in Hanover. However, it is not clear from the available files whether Katzenberg returned once more to Germany or to the teaching service.