Child's beige summer suit worn by Joseph Oppenheimer

Child's beige summer suit worn by Joseph Oppenheimer 

Josef Ludwig Oppenheimer (later Joseph, 1927-2020) was born in Würburg, Germany, to Ludwig Emanuel (1892-1972) and Maria Schwarzenberger (later Mary, 1898-1997) Oppenheimer. Josef’s family lived comfortably. His father, Ludwig, was a merchant, and the son of Emanuel and Sophie Lauer Oppenheimer. During World War I (1914-1918), Ludwig fought for Germany in the 11 and 5 Bavarian, Field Artillery Regiments. Josef’s mother, Maria, was originally from Massbach, Germany, and was the daughter of Bernhard and Meta Katzenberger Schwarzenberger. On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. Under Hitler, authorities began suppressing the rights and personal freedoms of Jews. Under the new laws, Ludwig was forced to deal with many new regulations that hurt his business. In the face of increasing persecution, Josef’s family began planning to leave Germany. On July 31, 1935, 8-year-old Josef and his parents boarded the S.S. Majestic in Cherbourg, France, and sailed to the United States. They settled in St. Louis, Missouri, where Josef’s maternal uncle, Kurt Schwarzenberger, lived. The family became active members of the local Jewish community. Josef and Mary Americanized the spelling of their names to Joseph and Mary. Ludwig found work as a stock clerk at a wholesale company, and Mary later opened her own candy business. In July 1940, Joseph celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at Congregation Brith Sholom. Many of Joseph’s relatives had remained in Europe during the Holocaust (1939-1945) and were killed. After graduation, Joseph became a student at Washington University in St. Louis, and began working part time as a reporter for a local newspaper. In 1950, Joseph was drafted into the US Army. He had a long career as a reporter in St. Louis, Wichita, Kansas, and New York City. Later in his life, Joseph lived in Del Mar, California. Throughout his life, Joseph was an active member of the local Jewish community wherever he lived, and often volunteered his time and energy to help others within those communities. 

Child's beige summer suit worn by Joseph Oppenheimer