Residence of Alfred Guttmann

On July 30, 1873, Alfred Guttmann was born in Posen (now Poznań, PL). His parents were the merchant Albrecht Guttmann (1845–1919) and Ernestine Guttmann, née Haenisch. After leaving school, he studied medicine and singing from 1894–1898 and received his doctorate from Berlin University in 1898. Alfred Guttmann also studied psychology and musicology in Berlin from 1901. After volunteering for the First World War, he worked as a front-line doctor for three and a half years. He not only practiced medicine, but also appeared as a concert performer from 1894. He was also appointed by the city of Berlin as a citizen deputy to the city's deputation for science and art and was a prolific writer. In 1920, he acquired a house in Werder (Am Mühlenberg 204, today no. 24), which he used as a summer residence. It was not until the 1930s that the Guttmann couple lived in Werder permanently. On November 1, 1938, Alfred Guttmann was arrested by the police in Werder and taken to Potsdam. He was only released after a week on condition that he emigrate. In addition, all his assets were confiscated. They were granted permission to enter Norway in February 1939. In March 1941, the couple were ambushed in their summer house by members of the SD of the SS and taken by ship to Svolvölig. From there they were taken to the Kabelvaring;g prison. Alfred Guttmann and his wife were then transported to a prison in Oslo. From the prison, Alfred Guttmann was taken to the Grini concentration camp near Oslo until October 29, 1941. During the last four months of his imprisonment there, his wife was also imprisoned in Grini. After they returned from Grini to the Lofoten Islands, she was exiled to Finnmark. When Alfred Guttmann was arrested again on December 31, 1941 and was to be taken to Germany, he escaped this deportation.  When the German occupying forces returned in November 1944, which resulted in the evacuation of Finnmark, the Guttmann couple returned to Lofoten, but their house was no longer standing. In 1946, Alfred Guttmann was granted Norwegian citizenship and then moved to Sykkylven, near Ålesund, where he worked as a doctor again for a time. Alfred Guttmann died on 21.12.1951 in Ålesund.