Levy and Lustig families papers

Fritz Levy (Friedrich Levy, 1890-1954) was born on 1 May 1890 in Cologne, Germany to Siegmund (1848-1920) and Bertha (née Lowenberg, 1856-1915) Levy. He had two brothers, Otto and Ernst. Fritz’s father Siegmund owned a high-end hat manufacturing business called S. Levy and Sie. Fritz served as an officer in the German Army officer during World War I, and was captured in 1915. He remained a prisoner of war in Omsk until the end of the war, but was able to write to his family often. Fritz married Käte Lustig in 1923. Their daughter Lotte Edith (later Lotte Hamburger, 1924-2012) was born in 1924. Fritz and his brothers Ernst and Otto inherited their father’s hat manufacturing business in Cologne. In 1933, after learning about his daughter Lotte getting in trouble in school for refusing to sing Nazi songs, Fritz and Käte made plans to emigrate from Cologne to England. They sent Lotte to Leipzig to live with Käte’s parents and attend a Jewish school. Fritz and Käte immigrated to London later that year, and Lotte joined them in 1934. Fritz continued to work in the hat manufacturing business, primarily with Rivoli Hats Ltd. His brother Otto left Germany in 1937, but his other brother Ernst was paralyzed and unable to leave. They were forced to sell their business in Cologne in 1939 at a loss. Fritz and Käte helped her parents immigrate to England in 1939. They also helped other relatives emigrate from Germany including Käte’s sister Alice, and her aunt Trudi. Käte would later become the director of Kangol Hats Ltd. and Bergmann & Co. Ltd. Lotte immigrated to the United States in 1953. She married Joseph Hamburger in 1954, and they had three children, Philip, Jeffrey, and Annette.

Julius Isaac Lustig (1864-1950) was born on 29 March 1864 in Unsleben, Germany to Kalmann or Callmann (1818-1902) and Rosa (née Franken, 1828-1908) Lustig. He had at least one brother, Bernhard (b. 1862) and one sister Gretchen (later Gretchen Zander). He was a co-owner of Frank and Lustig, Leipzig, a clothing manufacturer. Helene Henriette Lustig (née Lieberg, 1877-1966) was born on 24 August 1877 in Kassel, Germany to Max Michael (1848-1914) and Sophie (née Wulff, 1857-1933) Lieberg. She had three brothers, Ernst (1879-1897), Fritz (1886-1856), and Heinz, and one sister, Gertrud (Trudi, 1886-1956, later Gertrud Oppenheim). Julius and Helene married in Kassel in 1900. They lived in Leipzig and had three daughters, Margot (later Margot Kaufmann, 1900-1928), Käte Edith (later Käte Levy, 1902-1998), and Alice (later Alice Fein, b. 1904). The family was wealthy and made frequent donations to their synagogue in Leipzig. Käte married Fritz Levy in 1923. Their daughter Lotte Edith (later Lotte Hamburger, 1924-2012) was born in 1924. Fritz and his brothers Ernst and Otto inherited their father’s hat manufacturing business in Cologne. In 1933, after learning about his daughter Lotte getting in trouble in school for refusing to sing Nazi songs, Fritz and Käte made plans to emigrate from Cologne to England. They sent Lotte to Leipzig to live with Käte’s parents and attend a Jewish school. Fritz and Käte immigrated to London later that year, and Lotte joined them in 1934. Fritz continued to work in the hat manufacturing business, primarily with Rivoli Hats Ltd. His brother Otto left Germany in 1937, but his other brother Ernst was paralyzed and unable to leave. They were forced to sell their business in Cologne in 1939 at a loss. Fritz and Käte helped her parents immigrate to England in 1939. They also helped other relatives emigrate from Germany including Käte’s sister Alice, and her aunt Trudi. Käte would later become the director of Kangol Hats Ltd. and Bergmann & Co. Ltd. Lotte immigrated to the United States in 1953. She married Joseph Hamburger in 1954, and they had three children, Philip, Jeffrey, and Annette.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Philip and Jeffrey Hamburger, and Annette Levey.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Jeffrey Hamburger, Philip Hamburger and Annette Levey

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Jeffrey Hamburger, Philip Hamburger and Annette Levey

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Jeffrey Hamburger, Philip Hamburger and Annette Levey

The collection was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum by Philip Hamburger, Jeffrey Hamburger, and Annette Levy in 2017. Three accretions were donated in 2018. The accessions formerly cataloged as 2017.554.1, 2018.500.1, 2018.501.1, and 2018.502.1 have been incorporated into this collection.