MySource:Family Chronicle, by Else Opel nee Lichtenstein (Mutti)

Family Chronicle

We got to know one another in 1910. (We being Fritz Opel and Else Lichtenstein) We both worked in the same office. On July 28th 1910 my husband's father died, whereupon my mother-in-law and Moritz [Fritz Opel's brother] moved to Berlin, where we rented a nice flat in Nachodstrasse 24. On 1st October 1910 my husband became the editor of the "Zabrzer Auzeiger" in Hindenburg in Upper Silesia. We married on 21st November 1910 and moved into a cosy 3 roomed flat in Gluckaufstrasse 2. On 26th August 1912 our Fritz was born at the Auguste Victoria Hospital in Hindenburg.

Unfortunately the position as editor did not have the results which my husband was expecting. As my husband was then engaged by Dr Dammert for the post of editor in Paris, we sold our household. Fritz (semior) went first on his own and I stayed for a few weeks with the child with my mother-in-law. In November 1912 I went to Paris where at first all three of us lived at Pension Stempel, rue Vivienne. Later we rented a furnished flat in Rue Paradies 46, and after that we moved to Ville d'Avray on the route to Versailles at Rue Riosense 3 close to Paris. There our daughter Marianne was born on 16th January 1914. In [the] following year we moved to Berlin again, where shortly after war broke out. We lived there at Nachodstrasse 24, rear section. My husband was called up on 21st March 1915 and was killed in the Karpathian Mountains on 17th September 1916.

Both children went through school and finished with Abitur. Fritz at the Fichte Gymnasium in Berlin, Wilmersdorf, October 1930, and Marianne at Letzlingen Easter 1933.

Fritz studied law (5 terms), but had to finish studying in 1933. He sold newspapers and took part in a carpentry training course, which unfortunately was terminated before completion. 17th November 1934 arrested by the Gestapo. 29th November 1934 Alexander Platz (jail). 3rd July 1935 Moabit.

I was operated for glaucoma in 23rd December 1934. The operation had to be repeated on 3rd January 1935.

Marianne was in 1933 from March to October at Chesieres in the French part of Switzerland as a domestic help and returned to take up the position of house daughter at Pension Korber Fasanenstrasse 31.

Fritz was sentenced on 12th February 1937 to 3 years in jail, with his time in remission deducted. On 5th March 1937 he was moved to Brandenburg Gorden (Havel) where we were permitted to visit him 3 times; Sunday 25th April 1937 1 hr, Sunday 8th August 1937 2 hrs, Sunday 31st October 1937 3 hrs.

Marianne had first an apprenticeship at Dr Dammert before she went to Switzerland and after returned to Berlin to work as domestic.

Fritz worked from the 1st April 1938 as merchant employee until 23rd August 1938.

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