Sally (Salomon) and Erna (nee Marx) Isenberg and their three children, Artur, Helmut, and Norbert, lived in Saarbrücken (Germany), Zurich (Switzerland), Loerrach (Germany), and Vaduz (Liechtenstein). Artur came to the United States to attend Harvard University before 1938. The others immigrated in October 1938. The boys served their new country in WWII. Artur worked for the Office of War Information. Helmut and Norbert were deployed overseas in the U.S. Army. Identified family members appearing in the two reels of family film include (the relations to Norbert are indicated): 1) Norbert Isenberg, father of donor, Mark Isenberg, and youngest boy of Sally and Erna (1923-2004) 2) Sally Isenberg; father (1889-1961) 3) Erna Isenberg (nee Marx); mother (1894-1962) 4) Artur, brother (1917-2006) 5) Helmut, brother (1919-1992) 6) Bertha Marx (nee Salomon), maternal grandmother 7) Alice Marx, maternal aunt 8) Julie Isenberg (nee Stahl) paternal grandmother 9) Sigmund Isenberg, paternal uncle 10) Rosa Isenberg (nee Stern), Sigmund's wife 11) Bertha Greif (nee Isenberg), paternal aunt 12) Leo Greif, Bertha's husband 13) Margot Greif, first cousin 14) Nathan Stahl, great uncle (Julie's brother), survived Theresienstadt 15) Hermine Stahl (Nathan's wife), died in Theresienstadt on November 3, 1942 16) Hildegard Stahl Loeb (adopted daughter) 17) Henriette Suesskind (nee Marx), maternal aunt (1882-1940) 18) Rickchen Stahl, paternal great aunt (1858-1933) 19) and 20) Sophie Stern (nee Katzenstein), Rosa's mother, and Sophie Stern's sister 21) Sigmund Stern, Rosa's brother
Gilserberg was a village of 400-500 inhabitants with approximately 70 Jews. The synagogue was built in 1898 and survived the war; it was torn down in 1950s to make room for pharmacy. Sally and his son Artur Isenberg received their religious education at the synagogue. A small Jewish graveyard remains today in Gilserberg. Identified family members appearing in the two reels of family film include (the relations to Norbert are indicated): 1) Norbert Isenberg, father of donor, Mark Isenberg, and youngest boy of Sally and Erna (1923-2004) 2) Sally Isenberg; father (1889-1961) 3) Erna Isenberg (nee Marx); mother (1894-1962) 4) Artur, brother (1917-2006) 5) Helmut, brother (1919-1992) 6) Bertha Marx (nee Salomon), maternal grandmother 7) Alice Marx, maternal aunt 8) Julie Isenberg (nee Stahl) paternal grandmother 9) Sigmund Isenberg, paternal uncle 10) Rosa Isenberg (nee Stern), Sigmund's wife 11) Bertha Greif (nee Isenberg), paternal aunt 12) Leo Greif, Bertha's husband 13) Margot Greif, first cousin 14) Nathan Stahl, great uncle (Julie's brother), survived Theresienstadt 15) Hermine Stahl (Nathan's wife), died in Theresienstadt on November 3, 1942 16) Hildegard Stahl Loeb (adopted daughter) 17) Henriette Suesskind (nee Marx), maternal aunt (1882-1940) 18) Rickchen Stahl, paternal great aunt (1858-1933) 19) and 20) Sophie Stern (nee Katzenstein), Rosa's mother, and Malchen Stern (nee Katzenstein) 21) Sigmund Stern, Rosa's first cousin 22) Hans Susskind, Norbert's first cousin, incarcerated in a camp in Morocco 23) Herbert Goldsmith, Julie's nephew
See files for technical details about the original 16mm films, such as travel ghosting, film grain, or varying exposures.
Men in overcoats and hats walk toward the camera on snowy street in Gilserberg, Germany. 01:41:44 Brief, dark INT of synagogue, rabbi with tallit opening ark. Family in icy streets and other street views. 01:42:51 INT, woman in kitchen. Man with Artur and Helmut in yeshiva hats lift up glasses of wine. Julie blesses the boys. More interiors. Snow-covered streets.
Prewar religious service in Gilserberg