Heinz Samuel: family papers

Heinz Samuel was born to Julius and Gertrude Samuel (née Gellhorn) on 2 December 1904 in Argenau, now  Gniewkowo, Poland. He had twin siblings, Kurt and Ruth, born 1905. Kurt died in the Holocaust along with his parents. Ruth survived, eventually dying in Hamburg in 1982 after several decades living in South America.

Heinz’s parents ran a watchmaker’s, jewellery and bicycle business in Argenau.

Heinz studied at the Gymnasium at Güstrow where he stayed with his uncle James and aunt Carolina. Shortly after Argenau became Polish (Gniewkowo) in 1919/20 in accordance with the stipulations of the Treaty of Versailles, the family moved to Delmenhorst near Bremen, where they bought a new watch and jewellery shop and started a new life. 

In March 1932 Heinz received his doctorate in law at the University of Rostock. Shortly thereafter Heinz was suspended from work in the judiciary on racial grounds and soon afterwards left Germany for London. He initially earned a living as a wedding photographer then studied to become a chiropodist at Chelsea Polytechnic. Heinz was interned during the early part of the war. When he was freed he moved back to Bromley and married Edna Grimes, who also worked as a chiropodist. She was English born and not Jewish. They remained in the same house in Bromley all their lives together.