Person:Georg Kramm (1)

Georg attended high school on Turm Street in Berlin, later the Fichte High School until graduation. He achieved the title of "Bankrat", Bank Execu tive. Later he studied in Grenoble, France, and learned French. Then he wen t to America to visit his brother, Alfred , in order to perfect his English. He ar rived five days before the great earth quake and fire in San Francisco in 1906. Af ter loosing everything in the earthquake and fire he retur ned to Germany ( read the diary of Alfred M. Kramm for details of the San Francisco disaster ) . Finally, Georg went into the civil service.

Personal Description

The following description of Georg was written on 2 Sep 1936 by his nephew, Alf red Henry Kramm, while visiting to Germany.

"Uncle Georg is a short man, about 5' 5", and at age 56 was inclined to be a little fleshy. He has a rou nd face, quite pale from being indoors, blue eyes, and not much hair. When he walks he takes his time, but he doesn't of ten walk, firstly, because he can't stand long walks, and secondly because it takes time that might be used to - better ad vantage otherwise. He is trou bled with rheumatism and perhaps other ailments, and because of this he eats only a diet of vegetables. Also during each day he takes 18 different medicines, each at a precise time.

"His religion is that of Rosicrucianism, Perhaps it is better to call it a philoso phy as it has views on every subject in the world. The main belief is that man kind is bor n several times, each time in the form of a man but with diff erent occupations. At any rate, it believes in the infinity of mankind.

"Uncle Georg is a sincere student. He reads fine literature extensively in German, French, and English. He is a great ad mirer of Goethe. He speaks English very well and French better. He has travelled extensively in practi cally every part of Europe especially in France, Italy, and Switzerland.

"He has a somewhat pessimistic attitud e and usually look s on the darker side of things. He, like all the other Kramms, is intensely individualistic. When oth ers do not have a similar interest, in philosoph y or the arts, for instance, he

does not seek to associate with them. Thus he does not associate with U ncle Erich, his brother, as their interests are entirely diff erent. And k nowing them both one can hardly imagine two men who could look or think so diff er ently. U ncle Georg told me, "I do not dislike Erich or his wif e or Heinz, bu t we have so little in common wh y try to associate with them?"

"There is nothing mercenar y about U ncle Georg. He not only was generous to me in taking me to see Faust, to the Olympic games, in wanting to provide me with spending money, in showing me Berlin with a taxi, and in seeking to please me in many other ways; bu t also he was generous wit h other people. One night he brought home a tramp and gave him something to eat and drink and a couple of Marks to help him on his way. A few weeks before, he helped some girls who found themselves in Berlin withou t money.

"He told me his taxes amou nted to about 2000 Mar ks a year. Thus he probably earns about 6000 to 8000 Marks a year. This, in Germany, is a good income. In five years he will be pensioned. He has the title of 'Bankrat'. At present (1936) he is one of two office managers in the Umschuldung Ver banddeutsc her Ge meinden, a branch organization of the Preussisch Staatsbank. This branch department employs 80 men and super vises the repayment of bond ed indebt edness of various German cities. U ncle Georg is quite well k nown in Berlin and has a reputation for being a very clev er man.

"He is very fond of his wife and can hardly let her out of his sight. W hen he is away he calls her on the tele phone several times a day. I remem beronce when Au nt Anna, the neigh bor woman, and I went to the Olympic Fest spiel. Af ter the Festspiel, Aunt Anna and the neigh bor went one way, and I went to meet cousin Heinz. It happened that I retu rned home first. U ncle Georg was waiting and when he saw that I was alone he was terribly wor ried. We went over to the neigh bors. She wasn't home either. The neigh bor's daughter, however, invited us in so it was much easier to pass the time wait ing. At every little noise outside, U ncle Georg was startled and when Aunt Anna finally came home you can't imagine how relieved he was. As it happened she and the neigh bor had gone to the the ater, had tried to call the house, but no one was home.

"He is very proud of his wif e's family history and has several times shown me her family tree. It is true she has an outstanding family history, the most notable ancestor being Cranash, the great German pain ter. He also speaks of ten of his first wif e, Helene, who died. From all I hear, she was also a ver y intelligent woman."On the night before I lef t German y, U ncle Georg read to me from his day book dated 1 May 1906. He had bid my father Auf Vedesehen in Sacramento, Califor nia, U.S.A., and wondered if he would ever see him again. The next morning, 30 Au g 1936 he bid me good by at Potsdam, Germany."

Not quite a year later, 10 Jun 1937, Georg Kramm passed away. His wif e An na wrote: "The 10th of June 1937, shortly bef ore mid nigh t, my dear hus band died in Alpesbach in the Schwarz wald ( Black woods) after a short, hard suff ering. Georg took unf inished let ters ( to brother Alfred ) with him to Alpesbach where we hoped he would find regeneration. Bu t we were there only three days; but these three days were like the whole journey, a horrible fight."