Moritz Braunhart as it turns out is the enigma of the Braunhart family. We know the least about him of all the children of Alexander and Helene Braunhart.  He is likely the oldest child, but possibly the second oldest, as we do not know his exact birth date and location of his birth.

From recently translated letters, it appears that his wife's name is Clara and possibly that is her in the photo with him. But that is only a guess.

We also know from family stories that he suffered from depression and committed suicide; yet again we do not have documented proof.

He did serve in the German Army in World War I, and as this letter states, he was a patient in a sanatorium in Leipzig for several months.

As usual with Moritz, his life story is incomplete, and contains more questions than answers. For we do not know why he was a patient there.

Below is a postcard from Moritz to his sister Martha in Brooklyn, written in 1921. Both front and back are shown. The front appears to be a group photo that contains associates of some kind. And below the postcard is the English translation.

With much gratitude for our translator Matthias Steinke for his outstanding ability to be able to transcribe and translate what often are less than optimal handwriting specimens. Below is the English translation:

(sender): M. Braunhart, Leipzig, Roßstr. 12 I (at the moment: Bad Reiboldsgruen - in the Vogtland-area)


20 May 1921

Dear Marta! 


If I am not wrong, I already wrote to you a longer time ago, that's only by the way.

Please receive with this card to your next birthday my heartiest and honest returns. May God, that you and your family are always be well and I hope, that you all are healthy. 

Me, myself is it also going pretty well.

I am since 3 months in a sanatorium for a cure and I will stay here for another month. I recovered very well during this time.

From home I hear only good news. Only in Poland it looks bad.

To Anna and family many greetings. Farewell for today, many ....(greetings) to you, your husband, children 


from your .....

(X means my humble self)

This postcard from Trieste from Theo Braunhart to his sister Anna in Brooklyn is celebratory for his next day escape from Germany via Trieste, Italy to Shanghai. He leaves behind his wife Lucie, who as a Christian is safe from the Nazis.

There is much more to relate regarding Theo, but that will be written in future articles.

There is one line that is remarkable in its simplicity of warning. Because we know what happened to Theo's niece (and Karl's daughter) Hanna at Auschwitz just a couple of years later - it is quite disturbing. This postcard was written in April, 1940. Karl had escaped to America in January, 1939, and his wife Hedwig in February, 1940. Hanna stayed behind for some unknown reason.

Theo warns Anna to inform Karl that Hanna needs help. We do know that Karl wired money to Hanna in 1941 (by virtue of the Jewish Transmigration Records).  That is all we know of Hanna's situation. Tragically, we know the later outcome of her staying in Germany.

But this writing is primarily about Theo's liberation and his appreciation to sister Anna for her help.  It is simply written, but powerful in its meaning.


Below is the postcard, followed later by the English translation.

With thanks to Matthias Steinke, below is the English translation:


Trieste, the 10th April 1940

Dear Anna and all beloved,

So, tomorrow I am going on the ship. 

Its not to describe, how I feel in freedom. One has to get used to it.

I will write more details from the ship.

So far, I thank you that you helped me.

Karl shall get something for Hanna, it's urgent.

In the meantime many hearty greetings to you all, 


Your Theo.

This is a postcard and not a letter. As the Nazis take hold, the writings from Germany tend to be postcards and they speak of nothing regarding politics. And Alexander implicitly calls this out in the postcard.

Father Alexander Braunhart writes that things are getting worse. He hears nothing from son Julius, son Theo is barely surviving, and daughter Selma has taken a reduction in pay but is working. Son Karl is not doing well and son Moritz has not been working for years.

There are a couple of mysteries in this postcard, which hopefully can be solved in further letters. He speaks of "Johs" which cannot be translated and "Heintz" which is easily translated.  Alexander writes of them as if they are family - but we know nothing of these names!

This is a short writing but at least informs us of the state of most of the Braunhart family in Berlin at this time.

Below is the postcard, followed by the English translation.

Again, much thanks to our fantastic translator, Matthias Steinke for the following English translation:


Berlin 16 February 1931

Dear children and grandchildren! 

Confirm your last letter and also the one from Heintz(?), which I will answer soon.

And the local guys are as ...lazy as Martha. Greet Martha, Benny and children.

Here its getting day after day more worse but I am happy that Selma kept her job with lowered money.

Theo earns only his meals.

And also with Karl its not good.

I hear nothing from Julius. But he is self responsible for his well-being. 

With Johs.(?) its a pitty and we help as far as its possible. (He) lives now near us, because he couldn't afford the
rent anymore. Jakob sent $10 recently which I gave Johs? for his moving.

I am sorry that I cant write more rants.

You also have to fight hard for existence.

I believe it will be better soon. Moritz earns nothing since years. Clara, who has a real good job, supports him. They live happy and content.

All are visiting us often.

Greet also the Brunns and child.

Also you be greeted by you you loving father and grandfather.

Actually, this is a postcard from Alexander Braunhart to his daughter Anna in Brooklyn. There are a number of revelations in this short writing from "the old father" as Alexander is often referred.  He misses his wife Helene terribly, who had died in 1925. He is living with and cared for, by his daughter Selma.

He criticizes his son Julius for his idleness. We know that Julius is a gambler and eventually deserted his wife Dorka and children Lilly and Lothar.

He also mentions his son Moritz and his illness. But he congratulates Moritz'  wife Clara for taking good care of her husband.

He states that he has not heard from son Jakob, which seems not unusual, since Alexander did not hear from Jakob for many years.

And lastly, he mentions the passing of a friend in Schubin and the fact that there were only 4 Jewish families left in that town. The exodus of Jewish families began in the 1910s, including the Braunhart family. It is sad to see that this town, once full of so many Jewish families now is reduced to just a few. And considering that Alexander's father Lewin Jakob Braunhart was the leader of the school for over 50 years in the 1800s, this is a sad result of the exodus.

Below is the postcard, which is followed by the English translation:

Thanks to our good friend Matthias Steinke for this translation of the postcard to English:

Berlin, 11.4.27

Dear children and grandchildren! Please excuse dear Anna that I answer your last letter only today. Because I didn't feel comfortable a couple of days.

I am sorry that your business isn't lucrative at the moment. But unfortunately it seems, that this happens in the entire world, especially here. So don't send anything, if you have to limit yourself, this would make me very sad.

I will write to Marta next. I have no news from Jakob nor from Frieda. Frieda wrote to Selma and that's sufficient.

With Julius is nothing going on. He wastes the years with idleness and lives off my money.

Nothing heard from Cylli and also Moritz is silent. I assume, that he is always ill. His wife is a well-behaved and good person.

I feel very lonely and am still looking around for mother. Now I know, what she was for me.

Concerning the legacy still no information from the consulate. From Russia no informations for a month. The 16th. next month has aunt her birthday. Do you, Frieda and Martha congratulate?

Greet Benny, Martha and children. Otherwise, nothing new.

Glaser Arndt is deceased. Now are only 4 Jewish families left in Schubin.

Now farewell and be greeted by your loving father.

This is one of my favorite photos of my Braunhart ancestors. Jakob and Martha Braunhart were the first of the children of Alexander and Helene Braunhart to immigrate to America (in 1904). I am sure that they sat for this photo and sent a copy to all of their relatives who remained in Schubin, in order to show that they were hale and hearty and doing well in their new country.

Jakob's first 20 years in America were filled with adventure and a variety of interesting experiences. He traveled to San Francisco shortly after his arrival in New York City, after his sister Martha was settled with their cousin Cecelia Markheim and her family in Brooklyn. He spent much time with his uncle Samuel Braunhart the politician, and was with him when Samuel died a month after his heart problems were accentuated by the 1906 earthquake.

Jakob was a tailor by trade; he spent time in Alaska and married Pearl Rawson, a woman from Oregon, in 1913 in San Francisco. He shows up in August 1918 with an FBI file. He had joined the U.S. Army and because he had contacted the German consul in order to not get in trouble with the country of Germany, and because he had announced that he had two brothers in the German Army (that would have to have been Theo and Moritz), the FBI opened a file on him.  Interestingly, in the FBI report it states that his wife had left him earlier in 1918.

This all a precursor to the contents of the following letter - which was written by father Alexander, sister Frieda, and the most heart wrenching part - from his mother Helene.  The letter is dated 3 September, 1919.

We tend to assign hero and bravery status to those who left their home country and their family to immigrate. What we do not often do is examine the emotional impact of such splits on the parents that are left behind. In mother Helene Braunhart's case, she saw almost half of her children immigrate and she never saw them again.

Because the letter mentions his wife Pearl, it is obvious that Jakob and his parents had not corresponded for over a year - since the letter refers to Jakob's beloved wife Pearl - so it is clear that the parents knew nothing of the split between the two. Also there is a reference to funds in the bank, of which I do not know what the letter refers to.

The letter in its original German form is presented here, followed by the English translation.

Thanks to our good friend Matthias Steinke, we now have an English translation of this letter:

Schubin, 3rd September 1919

[from father Alexander]

Dear good son Jakob!

Since a year and a day (means since a long time) we are without any news from you. All are writing only our children don´t. From Martha came a short letter a couple of days ago. Hope you and Pearl are healthy. Our boys were soldiers during the war and came back soon. Only Theo and ?? are still suffering at languor? sometimes.

Theo, Philipp, and Karl, who escaped from here in January, are all in Berlin. All further you can read in aunt’s letter and in the letters that we sent to Martha and Anna.

So, dear Jakob how is it with the bank? Will it give anything at all? The Dollar costs 14 M. (Reichsmark). Write about it free and detailed.

As far as we get news from you with detailed information about your current address you will get a long detailed letter. So (send) immediately a message to your dearly loving parents.

[from sister Frieda]

My dear brother! I will also direct some lines to you. Thanks God, I´m fine, which I also hope from you and your beloved wife.

The dear parents already sent more details so I will close for now.

Hearty greetings and kisses is sending you your Loving sister Frieda.

[from mother Helene]

Dear beloved son!

In vain do we expect a letter from you? You can’t imagine the grief I have to endure for years to be without any informations about my children. From the rich to the poorest, all get wonderful letters from theirs; only our children are heartless, what you will surely regret, if it will be too late.

Write, dear son how you are and whether you and your beloved wife are healthy. We don’t want to have something from you, only one thing I ask you, please ask, whether it may be possible that the bank pays us, because we want to move to Berlin. From there I will write more detailed.

We´re doing well. We have been through a lot and don’t know what yet to come for us. If the bank doesn’t pay, we don’t know what to do. I lay it to your heart dear son, to strive and to give us immediately message.

I would like to see you all again one day.

Many hearty greetings and kisses to you and your dear wife, your deep loving mother Helene

In the course of discovering one's ancestry - it certainly is a journey and many times a trek (a journey with obstacles). If we consider Lewin Jacob Braunhart and his wife Wilhelmine Zadek as the first generation of Braunharts; and Bernhard, Samuel, Sara, and Alexander as the 2nd, then the 3rd generation would be the seventeen surviving children of Bernhard, Sara, and Alexander. These I have previously written about as quite an admirable group of ancestors in The Memorable Seventeen.  The 3rd generation was exemplified by immigration and escape.  Half of the 17 immigrated to America, and half escaped from Schubin to Berlin, and many of those escaped Germany from the Nazis, although two were unsuccessful.

So what about the next generation - the fourth? There were a total of 35 children born to the 17 grandchildren of Lewin and Wilhelmine.  Who were they and what makes them special? These 35 were exemplified by the majority being born in America as a result of their parents immigrating. However, holdovers from the 3rd generation still occurred, as a few of these 35 had to also escape Nazi Germany. 

The birth years range from 1892 to 1936 - quite a span. Here is a list, followed by names and photos. Truly an impressive bunch:

• 5 died in childhood (4 via illness, 1 by drowning)
• 2 spent several years in the Shanghai Ghetto
• 1 was murdered at Auschwitz
• 1 escaped to Palestine
• 1 was a vaudeville pianist
  
• 1 was a statistician
• 1 served in both World War 1 and World War 2
• 7 were housewives
  
• 1 broke the record for typewriting speed and broke one of the first electric typewriters
• 1 designed clothing and was an award winning smoothie dancer
• 1 built clocks, watches, and custom furniture
• 3 were attorneys
• 1 was a jazz musician
• 1 was a singer
• 1 was a shoe designer
• 1 was a captain at a world famous hotel
• 2 were successful amateur boxers
• 1 owned a bicycle shop
• 1 was a legal secretary - her sister a secretary
• 1 was a school teacher
• 3 served in the US Army
• 2 were stenographers
• 1 owned a luncheonette for 40 years
• 1 was a track star in high school and college
• As of the date of this publication, 3 are living

And here they are:

Just added are recorded videos about the lives of the Braunhart ancestors. They can be found on the Videos tab.  Here is the first one:

Since this website was created in mid- 2012, the following chart pictorially demonstartesthe frequency of each word used in telling the stories of the Braunhart family: