Wholesaler in cloth, wool and knitwear - Gebrüder Isay

The wholesale business in cloth, wool and knitwear was founded in 1871 by the brothers Jacob Isay, born in Schweich in 1842, and Moritz Isay, born in Schweich in 1851. The parents of the brothers were the cattle dealer Abraham Isay and Henriette Isay, née Lieser from Schweich an der Mosel. After the retirement of the company founders, their sons Adolph, born on May 1, 1875 in Cologne, and Siegfried, born in 1876 (son of Jakob), together with Alfred, born on August 17, 1885 (son of Moritz), took over the company. On April 1, 1913, the business and office building in Zeppelinstrasse was completed.  In 1930, eleven other companies and offices were housed in the business premises alongside the Isay brothers' textile wholesaler.  After the National Socialists came to power, Adolph and Alfred Isay sold the family business. Alfred Isay emigrated to Holland in April 1933 and founded a production company for artificial silk in Amsterdam. His wife Sophie and their children followed in March 1934. The occupation of the Netherlands in 1940 was followed by several arrests of the family. After their last release from the Westerbork concentration camp in 1943, the family went underground and survived separately in various hiding places.