Before turning to the fourth child of Meyer Goldschmidt and Lea Katzenstein, a quick update from my cousin-by-marriage Ralph Dannheisser, the stepson of my cousin Elizabeth Stern and grandson of Johanna Bloch Dannheisser, the sister of Charles Bloch, who was married to my cousin Amalie Meyer Bloch.
Ralph sent me this photograph of his grandparents, Ludwig and Johanna Bloch Dannheisser, himself as an adorable toddler, and, in the center wearing the lovely hat, his grandmother’s sister-in-law Amalie Meyer Bloch.
Ludwig Dannheisser, Amalie Meyer Bloch, Ralph Dannheisser, Johanna Bloch Dannheisser. The Hague, May, 1939. Courtesy of Ralph Dannheisser
According to the inscription on the back, it was taken in May, 1939, in The Hague in the Netherlands, when Ralph was a year old. Ralph’s grandparents and his parents had already escaped from Germany to the Netherlands by that time, and Ralph and his parents would leave for the US early in 1940. Tragically, his grandparents did not leave Europe and were sent to the concentration camps where they were murdered in 1944.
This is the first photograph I’ve seen of my cousin Amalie, and it raises more questions that I cannot answer. Why was she in the Netherlands in May, 1939? Had she left Germany for good by that point? Her naturalization papers say that when she came to the US in August 1941, her last residence was in Lisbon, but the ship manifest for her arrival in the US stated that her last permanent residence was Frankfurt, Germany. Neither mentions the Netherlands.
Was her husband Charles with her in the Netherlands in May 1939? He probably had already immigrated to France by then, so perhaps he and Amalie met in the Netherlands as a neutral meeting place? Perhaps Charles took this photograph? Or maybe Charles wasn’t there at all.
We don’t know the answers to any of these questions. But Ralph is certain that the woman standing in the center of this photograph with the big smile was Amalie Meyer Bloch, my third cousin, twice removed, and his great-uncle’s wife.
What amazes me is how happy Ralph, Johanna, and Amalie look. They’d left Germany, faced terrible acts of anti-Semitism, but were still finding something to smile about. Quite remarkable. Another sign of the resilience of human beings and our desire for love over hate.
Thank you, Ralph!
Brotmanblog: A Family Journey 
Whoever took the photo really caught baby Ralph’s attention. You can practically hear him laughing.
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I know! It’s such a sweet photo. My guess is that it was one of his parents, not Charles, his great-uncle, but who knows….
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Your comment led me to add a note to my post about how happy Ralph, his grandmother, and Amalie look despite being refugees from Germany.
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Love what you added, Amy!
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You inspired me!
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Their smiles were the first thing I noticed when I looked at the photo. Often we are told to smile when our picture is taken. But these smiles appear natural. I believe that the relief of being at a safe place made them feel so happy at that particular moment.
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That’s a great insight, Peter. I am sure that feeling safe and being together were a great relief.
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Oh, Amy, what an absolute treasure this is!
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I agree—thanks!
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Thanks, Amy, for stepping in as my de facto biographer of sorts 😉 ! It’s a privilege to have my family and me included in chapters of your wonderful labor-of-love blog. I find your whole consuming project to be diligently researched, engagingly written, and a beautiful tribute to your extended family and to humanity at large. I look forward to reading more about other branches of your tree.
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Thanks, Ralph! I am so delighted that you and I found each other and have been able to answer some of the questions left unanswered. I am so grateful to you for all your help.
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Ralph was adorable and his smile and laughter contagious. Looks like Amalie is wearing a corsage. I wonder if this was a special occasion. I was sad to read the grandparents did not make it out. Always so upsetting to read. Wonderful treasure with this photo 🙂
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He really was! I don’t know whether it was a special occasion or not. Maybe people just wore corsages like that back then?
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Woman may have worn corsages just as one would a brooch. Now that you mention it it seems to me I remember seeing cloth flower corsage with pin fastener’s that my grandmother had. Either way love the photo 🙂
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I think they look momentarily happy because they are with the baby. This photo is a wonderful treasure for you. I wonder some of the documents from the time are purposefully inaccurate.
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Babies do bring out the best in us, don’t they? Their innocence and their joyfulness remind us of what we once were like and what life should always be.
What documents were you referring to, Luanne?
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Don’t know why the system used my ID instead of my name. As you may have figured out, I’m Ralph.
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Yep, I got the first one so published that one. It took me a while to approve the earlier comments since I wasn’t back on my computer til this morning!
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Wonderful photo.
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Thanks, Leslie!
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Great Photo. So you glad you can actually see her!
Remember Lisbon was a free port and neutral. Many people wanted to make their way there to survive the war and escape.
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Yes, my guess is that she was there, waiting for a ship to get out of Europe. Did you ever read The Two Hotels Francfort by David Leavitt? It takes place in Lisbon during that time.
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No. I will look for it.
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What an absolutely wonderful photo. And I agree – the smile/belly laugh that Ralph is displaying makes me smile just looking at it. What strong people they were to be able to find happiness during such a difficult time.
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So true, Debi.
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Like zicharon, I was also thinking of Portugal’s neutrality possibly playing a role in her residence in Lisbon. Sounds like a compelling little mystery on your hands.
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Yep—I agree that Amalie probably went to Portugal to wait for a ship out of Europe like so many did. But when? And why was she in Holland in May 1939? So many unanswered questions.
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