Lilli Krieger Collection

Lilli Vera Krieger, nee Jacobsohn was born in Berlin on 6 July 1922 as the second daughter of Paul Jacobsohn and Hilde (née Mayer).  Her father owned a cardboard box factory at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, which was already funded by his father Eduard Jacobsohn. Her parents were quite well to do, regarding themselves as German not as Jewish until Hitler arrived. She came to England on the Kindertransport on  4 May 1939 and was financially supported by the Rotary Club. Her father managed to arrange this with a Mr Mitchell who owned several properties in Worthing, which is where Lilli went to live on arrival in Great Britain. Her sister, Gerda Forsythe née Jacobsohn, came as a nanny two months earlier to Britain. Eventually they lived together prior to getting married. Gerda married Harry John Forsythe (previously known as Hans-Joachim Falk), who was originally also from Berlin. The parents of Gerda and Lilli supported their children financially and with useful advice. They remained in Germany. Paul Jacobsohn, the father,was later deported and died in Theresienstadt . Their mother Hilde Jacobsohn was killed in Auschwitz. 

 

Lilli Krieger’s husband, Alfred Krieger, was born in Moravská Ostrava, Czechoslovakia on the 30 December 1919. He was the only child of Luzie (nee Gold) and Ferdinand Krieger. They all came to Britain in 1939 before the outbreak of war. Alfred Krieger played tennis  for his country and when he came to England he was in the Czech army based in Lauder, Scotland. Lilli and Alfred met each other in a shorthand typing school. They married on the 19. August 1944. Two days later he re-joined his unit and was stuck in Czechoslovakia once the Russians invaded. He managed to get out and back to England after two years living on black market cigarettes sent to him by his parents. He worked as a commercial traveller for a handbag company and eventually he and his wife became the owners. Her daughter, Caroline Krieger was born on 16.2.1952. Alfred Krieger died on the 14 June 2000.