Alfred Fackenheim

Alfred Fackenheim was born on November 9, 1891 in Eisenach. His father was Julius Fackenheim.

Alfred went to school in Eisenach and then learned the profession of a banker. In the First World War he volunteered for military service.

After the end of the war, he opened a private bank in the väterlichen house, the „Heim-Bank“. This went however in the time of the world economic crisis 1929 into bankruptcy.

Alfred married in the year 1920 Hertha Oppenheim.

On 25 February 1923 the common daughter Erika came to the world. Erika became an honorary citizen of Eisenach as Avital Ben-Chorin on August 11, 2012. Despite her painful losses of her relatives, Erika/Avital stood up for the reconciliation of the Jewish and German culture.

The family lived until 1936 in Eisenach in the Schmelzerstraße 14. First, the daughter was sent to Palästina to then follow promptly. Since this did not succeed, Hertha and Alfred moved to Stuttgart. There Alfred became head of the örtlichen Palästina office.

From Stuttgart Alfred and his wife Hertha were deported on June 17, 1943 first to the concentration camp Theresienstadt and from there on October 23, 1944 to Auschwitz. There they were murdered.

(Text: Frank Rothe, edited by Natalie Reum, 4/14/2021)