Leopold Manufactory

Max Leopold, who was born in 1879 in Barchfeld (Thuringia), married Bella Eckstein, born in 1886 in Oberlauringen (Franconia), in Bremervölde. Their three children Stephan Arno (born 1912), Hans (born 1916) and Erika (born 1922) attended secondary school and, just like the other Jewish children from Bremerwald, suffered injustice from their teachers and classmates at an early age.

The two sons Stephan Arno and Hans managed to flee to North America in 1934 and 1935.

Father Max Leopold took over a manufacturing business at 85 Neue Strasse in 1910 at the latest. He cared a great deal about his company, as his many conversions and extensions show. His great entrepreneurial commitment was also reflected in his admission to the purchasing association „Der Ring“. In 1909, he was awarded citizenship. The Leopold couple had a distinguished appearance and enjoyed great respect and admiration in Bremervörde. The merchant was a man of great social concern and, due to his successful business, donated a great deal, such as confirmation suits or, not infrequently, Christmas presents for the poorer families in Bremervüttel. Due to the boycott of Jewish businesses throughout Germany, sales at Leopold's company also declined from April 1933 until he finally had to give up his business in 1936, and out of desperation he initially leased the property to Friedrich Steffen, to whom he sold his entire warehouse in 1937.

After Max Leopold moved to Bismarckstrasse in Hamburg with his wife and their daughter on February 1, 1937, Max was arrested on the night of the pogrom on November 9/10, 1938 and taken to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. With the help of his wife Bella, he was released after five weeks, as she testified that he had to be present at the sale of their house. As a result, they sold their property to Otto Gütersloh on May 30, 1939 and emigrated to America with their daughter, where their two sons had established a livelihood a few years earlier.