Mechanical belting and ribbon weaving - Gutmann & Marx

Factory owner Eduard Marx, born in 1854, died in February 1904, leaving behind his wife Babette, née Rothschild, born in 1865, and their children-Grete-3 years old, Alfred-5 years old, Julius-9 years old and Leopold-15 years old.Due to Eduard Marx's early death, Babette Marx and the four children suddenly became the sole owners of the Gutmann & Marx mechanical belt and ribbon weaving mill.The widow, who was not only responsible for the upbringing but also for the company, found support in the former co-owner. Babette Marx received further support from her younger brother, the lawyer Martin Rothschild, who not only provided business advice, but was also able to replace their father in the family.Leopold Marx, the eldest of the siblings, had to leave grammar school at the age of 15 in order to prepare himself for entering the company by completing an apprenticeship, attending technical college and spending time abroad. The family's attitude was consistently German-patriotic.ÜOver the years 1914-1918, the company Mechanische Gurten- und Bandweberei Gutmann & Marx donated a total of 127243 marks for the war relief of industry and trade.Babette Marx received the Charlottenkreuz during the First World War.After the war, Leopold and Julius took over the management of the company and the mechanical belt and ribbon weaving mill flourished; the number of employees had doubled to 200.After the National Socialists seized power, this changed drastically, with harassment and bullying, calls for a boycott, abuse and the first imprisonments in Dachau leading to the decision to sell the company in the spring of 1939.All of Babette Marx's children and their families managed to emigrate, and on August 22, 1942, Babette Marx was deported to Theresienstadt with her brothers Max and Martin, where she died on October 15, 1942.