Elfriede Spangenthal (née Brylewski)

Elfriede Brylewski was born in Suhl on April 9, 1906. Her parents were Aron and Emma Brylewski. These were owners of the well-known department store Leschnitzer in Suhl. 

Elfriede met and fell in love with her späteren husband at a young age. At the age of 19, Elfriede moved to Eisenach in 1927, after marrying Ludwig.

Both moved into an apartment at Bahnhofstraße 53/55. They had three children, in addition to Ernst Jochen and Hans-Günther also the daughter Eva-Marianne. Their daughter Eva-Marianne unfortunately succumbed after 10 months, on March 25, 1929, to an early infant death.

Elfriede was fully occupied with her children, her husband was well employed as a merchant in the walking stick factory.

When on November 27, 1941, her husband was arrested for black market trading, Elfriede was literally alone with the two children. The family of her brother-in-law Berthold Spangenthal also lived in Eisenach.

Elfriede and the children were deported from Eisenach on May 9, 1942. She and her children perished in the Belzyce ghetto.

(Text: Frank Rothe, edited by Natalie Reum, 3/31/2021)