Max Nachmann collection

Max Alfred Nachmann was born in Chemnitz on 29 December 1912 to David Leib Nachmann and Cyna Jena Nachmann née Seewald. Both his parents were Polish. He went to work for Gebruder Kahn in Chemnitz in sales and export.

At the end of 1933, he was rendered stateless. From February 1936 the Nazi authorities put his firm on notice that he should be dismissed; he was only retained on the understanding that he could be discharged at any moment. He therefore decided to leave Germany for the UK, which was possible because he earned enough in commission as a businessman. He represented a Czechoslovakian glove manufacturer. This led to other opportunities in the glove-making industry, and he became director of Asco Hosiery & Glove Co.

In November 1940, he married a British woman, Anne Osband. His attempt to join the Pioneer Corps was not successful. In the early years of the war, he spent considerable time trying to save his family who had been expelled from German as part of the Polenaktion by trying to arrange passage for them to South America from where they would travel to the USA. In February 1948, he became a British citizen.