Stumbling stone for Willy and Bertha Bachrach, née Kamberg

Willy Leopold Bachrach was born on January 2, 1882 in Neustadt/ Kirchhain. In 1921, he married Bertha Kamberg, who was born in Offenbach on July 17, 1892. The couple lived in Offenbach from then on. Their son Hans Abraham was born in Offenbach on September 24, 1922.

Willy Bachrach was a merchant and partner in his wife's family business, which traded in grain and flour. The company was already affected by the anti-Jewish boycotts in April 1933 and had to close in 1937 by order of the National Socialists.

Son Abraham had to leave the public school in 1934 and was then only allowed to attend the Jewish school.

During the pogrom night of November 9-10, 1938, the apartments of the Kamberg and Bachrach families at Kaiserstrasse 115 were vandalized by the Nazis. Willy Bachrach was arrested shortly afterwards and taken to Buchenwald concentration camp along with around 80 other Offenbach Jews. The Nazis called this "protective custody". After 5 weeks, Willy Bachrach returned to Offenbach severely emaciated.

In July 1939, Hans Abraham Bachrach was able to legally emigrate to England with the support of his relatives. In 1940, he was deported there as an "enemy alien", transported to Australia and interned in a camp. After the end of the war, Hans Abraham remained in Australia.

Due to their health and age, his parents Bertha and Willy Bachrach were unable to emigrate. They were among the Offenbach Jews who were deported from the collection point on Kaiserstrasse to Darmstadt and from there to Poland on September 30, 1942. The Memorial Book of the Victims of National Socialism (opens in a new tab)records: to "Treblinka, presumed fate: declared dead".