us-005578-irn53803-irn84328
type: RecordSet
archival history: The napkin ring was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by Audrey Eisenmann and Geoffrey Eisenmann, the grandchildren of Jella Furth Karlsruher.
biographical history: Jella Furth was born on January 25, 1879, in Eppingen, Germany, to Max and Elise Furth. She was the youngest of seven children, five girls and two boys. On September 30, 1903, Jella married Leonhard Regensburger from Eppingen. Leonhard was born on July 12, 1858, in Eppingen. He had been a silk and textiles merchant in France for 20 years, and had become a French citizen. He returned to Saxony because he wished to have a German wife. He became a partner in a drapery factory in Plauen. On July 18, 1905, they had a daughter, Irene. Leonhard retired in 1912 and the family returned to Eppingen. On April 11, 1914, Leonhard, 55, died of cancer. On December 5, 1919, Jella married Nathan Karlsruher, who was born on April 5, 1875, in Ittlingen, to Gabriel and Regina Karlsruher. He had fourteen siblings. Nathan had been Jella's first love but, as the eldest brother, had to wait until all his sisters were married before he married himself. Nathan was a grain trader and worked with his brother Karl. The family moved to Mannheim for Nathan's business. They had a daughter, Ruth, on July 30, 1922. They lived a comfortable life and employed a maid and dressmakers. They regularly attended services at their conservative synagogue. Irene graduated school and began working in a bank. On May 27, 1927, Irene married Friedrich Schweizer, (1891-1962), a bank manager and World War I veteran. In January 1933, Hitler came to power in Germany and anti-Jewish laws were passed almost immediately. Nathan died of a pulmonary illness on October 21, 1933. Jella and Ruth moved in with Irene, Friedrich, and their son Hans, who had been born profoundly deaf on September 19, 1933. As anti-Semitism increased, the family began attempting to leave Germany. Jella had three siblings living in the United States and they applied for a visa waiting number to the US, but had a high number. On November 10, 1938, during Kristallnacht, two Nazis entered the apartment and took Friedrich. A few hours later, more Nazis…
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Large, silver colored, heavy metal napkin ring with thick molded bands with a scrollwork and dot relief pattern around the upper and lower edges. The smooth, shiny body has a name engraved on the front center. There is an engraved, oval, floral design on the back, featuring a large flower and zigzag vine, with 1 leafy vine with a smaller flower extending from each side. The interior is smooth. The ring is scratched and bent. front, cursive, engraved : Jella
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: 1940 August
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn84328
is or was included in: us-005578-irn53803
record resource extent: overall: Height: 1.625 inches (4.128 cm) | Width: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm) | Depth: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Silver napkin ring engraved with her name saved by Jella Furth Karlsruher when she escaped Nazi Germany with her daughter Ruth, 18, in August 1940. Many items from Jella's trousseau, such as the damask napkin, 2013.430.5, and perhaps this item, were sent in crates to Holland and then later to New York. When Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, Jella, her husband Nathan and Ruth lived in Mannheim. Following Nathan’s death in October 1933, Jella and Ruth moved in with Jella’s daughter from her first marriage, Irene Schweizer, her husband Friedrich, and son Hans. Ruth experienced anti-Semitism constantly. During Kristallnacht on November 10, 1938, Friedrich was sent to Dachau and released in January 1939. Friedrich, Irene, and Hans fled to England in summer 1939. From September to November 1939, Ruth performed forced agricultural labor. In March 1940, Irene left for the US. She soon provided the money and documentation for Jella and Ruth to emigrate. They received visas in May but had to change their travel plans several times because of the war. In August, Jella and Ruth left Berlin and traveled through the Soviet Union, Manchuria, Korea, and Japan, until arriving in Chicago in September 1940.
title: Silver napkin ring with an engraved floral design and name brought with a German Jewish prewar emigre