Grain food wholesale - N.J. Homburger

The traces of Nathan Jakob Homburger's ancestors can be traced back in Karlsruhe to the year 1722, when the great-grandson Löw Homburger, born in 1694 in Homburg, received a letter of protection on July 30, 1722 from Margrave Carl of Baden. 4 generations later, Nathan Jakob Homburger laid the foundation for the flour, produce and colonial goods wholesale business. Ferdinand Homburger, the only son of the married couple Nathan Jakob and Babette Homburger, née Baer, later followed in his father's footsteps. With his marriage he became a partner in the business in December 1890. With him, the business continued to grow and develop. In the early 1930s, Ferdinand Homburger even became president of the Mannheim grain exchange. But already in 1934 daughter Lucie went to Paris and in 1937 to America, daughter Alice and her family emigrated to Palestine in 1936 and in 1937 son Paul emigrated to America. Already in 1937 the business went to an Aryan buyer. In 1939, the Homburger couple also had to part with their house at Karl-Friedrich-Strasse 8, moving to Ettlinger Strasse 9 and then to Stephanienstrasse 20. Finally, on October 22, 1940, Ferdinand and Rosa Homburger were deported to Gurs together with 943 other Jewish residents of Karlsruhe. On December 7, the couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary and Ferdinand's 80th birthday under the terrible conditions prevailing there. But already 8 weeks later, on January 25, 1941, Ferdinand Homburger died in the Gurs camp. His wife Rosa Homburger, thanks to the help of her relatives, managed to leave the Gurs camp afterwards. On October 4, 1941 she reached the saving shore of the USA.