Israelite Institution for the Deaf and Dumb

The Israelitische Taubstummen-Anstalt was located in Berlin-Weißensee at Parkstraße 22 and was run by Markus Reich, and later by his son Felix Reich.
Markus Reich had founded a deaf-mute institution in Fürstenwalde in 1873 with four students. In 1884, together with his supporters, he established the "Friends of the Deaf and Dumb - Jedide Ilmin" association. In 1889, the association acquired and built the property at Parkstraße 22. After Markus Reich's death in 1911, his son Felix took over the management of the deaf-mute institution.
In 1935, the school, which comprised nine school years, cared for 32 boys and 16 girls. Since 1933, the institution also accepted business students, whose internship was recognized as vocational preparation for Palestine.
In 1939, however, the "Friends of the Deaf and Dumb Association" was forcibly dissolved. Felix Reich managed to bring ten kindergarten children from the ITA to London in the summer of the same year, but due to the outbreak of war, Felix Reich was unable to return to Germany to save more children. In 1942, teaching at the ITA was banned and the institution was closed.
Only a few of the deaf students survived in hiding or by emigration.