Fromms: How Julis Fromm's Condom Empire Fell to the Nazis (29 page)

A
N
O
VERVIEW OF THE
F
ROMM
F
AMILY

Baruch Fromm
, known as
Bernhard
, born on October 10, 1854, in Konin (Russia), died on June 18, 1898, in Berlin; married to
Sara Rifka Fromm
, née Riegel, known as
Regina
, born on January 24, 1859, in Konin, died on July 13, 1911, in Berlin. Their marriage produced eight children:

N
OTES

1
.
Der Drogenhändler
, no. 23, March 20, 1933.

2
. Schivelbusch, Laqueur, Birett, passim; for information on the sexology bookshop, see
Der Schundkampf
, no. 50, Feb. 1933.

3
. Bertram to the Reich Minister of the Interior on May 27, 1921, BA R 1501/111891, Hirschfeld,
Geschlechtskunde
, vol. 2, Wolf,
Jüdisches Lexikon
, vol. 4,2 entry on “Statistik der Juden (Europa: Deutschland),” (Berlin 1927, rpt. Frankfurt 1987).

4
. Schäfer, Friedländer, Reich Anti-Smut Bureau to the Prussian Ministry of the Interior, dated April 1, 1933, GStA I HA Rep. 77, 2772/11, vol. 1;
Der Schundkampf
, no. 9, Dec. 1925, no. 41, July/Aug. 1931; no. 52, July 1933, pp. 8ff.; no. 54, Dec. 1933.

5
. Otto Adler commenting on the expert opinions rendered by Medical Privy Councilor Prof. Dr. E. Bumm, Health Adviser Dr. Franz Lehmann, Prof. Dr. Mackenrodt, Health Adviser Dr. Schäffer, and Prof. Dr. Strassmann, in
Zeitschrift für Sexualwissenschaft
1
(1914), p. 186f.; draft of a law regarding business pertaining to birth control methods [June 1917], GStA Rep. 76 VIII B/2017.

6
. Hirschfeld/Gaspar, vol. 1,
Dokumentation zur Geschichte des Kondoms
, Marcuse, passim; Woycke, Prussian Ministry of the Interior, Minutes of the Session on May 26, 1916, to combat the decline in birth rates, GStA Rep. 76 VIII B/2017.

7
. For example, in
Die Aufklärung
, 1 (1929), no. 1.

8
. Advertisement in
Das Drogisten-Fachblatt
, 1932, no. 11, (emphasis in original), no. 5.

9
. The expropriation file of the OFP Berlin-Brandenburg, BLHA Rep. 36 A II/10607, pp. 11ff. contains an incomplete list of Fromm’s patents. (Numerous Fromm patents, including the one cited here, can be found at
http://depatisnet.dpma.de
.)

10
. Richmond.

11
. Registry of births in the Konin synagogue community, Archivum Panstwowe, Poznan, 45/66/4 (marriage entry), 48/10/19 (birth entry). For the translation of these texts, we would like to thank Jakov Kolodizner of Berlin, who served as a Red Army soldier and fought for his country at the Battle of Stalingrad, where he was severely wounded. He ultimately helped liberate the Germans from themselves.

12
. Sommerfeld, p. 5f.; see also Schade.

13
. Eschelbacher,
Die ostjüdische Einwanderungsbevölkerung
, pp. 40ff. Klara Eschelbacher was born in 1889, the daughter of Rabbi Dr. Joseph Eschelbacher and his wife, Ernestine, née Benario, in Bruchsal, Germany. Her dissertation adviser was Heinrich Herkner in Berlin, who noted in his evaluation: “The author has such strong personal contacts with this social group that she was able to shed a remarkable degree of light on the subject. Out of consideration for the parties involved, of course, she is unable to report everything she observed.” Herkner’s evaluation, dated July 27, 1918 (second reader Max Sering: “Agreed, October
17, 1918”), Humboldt University in Berlin, Archiv Phil. Fak. 597, Littr. P. no. 4/388, p. 337f.

14
. Eschelbacher, “Wohnungsfrage,” Eschelbacher,
Die ostjüdische Einwanderungsbevölkerung
.

15
. Quoted in Fraenkel.

16
. Advertisements for Fromms Act, in
Der Drogenhändler
, Oct. 9 and Dec. 4, 1919, 1181.

17
. Advertisement by the I. Fromm company,
Der Drogenhändler
, September 27, 1917.

18
. Quotations regarding the production and testing processes are found in
Fromms Act; “
Vom Werdegang des Präservativs;” Hirschfeld,
Geschlechtskunde
, vol. 2, the information about the poster campaign for “our business associates” in
Das Drogisten-Fachblatt
, 1931, no. 8, Emphasis in original.

19
. Chief administrative officer of Potsdam, BLHA Rep. 2A I St, naturalization, Fromm Israel Julius.

20
. Land register files for Rolandstr. 4, district court of Berlin-Schöneberg, Lichterfelde branch office.

21
. Industry Supervisory Board of Treptow-Köpenick; commercial regulations dated March 14, 1922, Köpenick district office, Berlin building and housing authority, construction records for Verlängerte Rahnsdorfer Str. 53/Werlseestr. 62, vols. 1, 2, 5.

22
.
Niederbarnimer Zeitung
, April 11, 1927, and October 23, 1928.

23
. German Credit Bureau, in the matter of Fromms Act and Julius Fromm, factory owner, February 8, 1933, BA R 8136/2994.

24
. Dietrich.

25
. Mies van der Rohe, Korn,
Glass in Modern Architecture
, pp. 5ff.

26
. “Werdegang des Präservativs;” Fromms Act.

27
. Korn/Housden,
International Congress for Modern Architecture
, Poelzig in a statement for the Prussian Academy of Arts on October 3, 1932, SAdK, PrAdK, 940/6.

28
. Weitzmann, Warhaftig,

29
. Benton, correspondence between Taut and Korn in Spring 1963; SAdK, staff news, AdK-W, 265; Weitzmann to Korn, January
23, 1937, The Jewish National and University Library, Jerusalem, Weitzmann estate, 2665/30.

30
. Notification from the Office for the Settlement of Disputed Property Claims, Berlin-Mitte-Prenzlauer Berg (AROV I), dated July 13, 1994, GZ AROV ID 5-Reg. 2597/3; reference files of Benoit-Raukopf, Esq. (Berlin).

31
. Advertisements for Fromms Act and for Fromms, Inc. in
Der Drogenhändler
, January 5 and 30, May 25, July 13, 1933, front pages.

32
. Foreign exchange inspection of Fromms Act on February 22 and 23, and March 9, 1934, with reference to earlier inspections (signed: Müller); report from the foreign exchange inspection of Erfurt Rubber Works, Inc., dated April 19, 1934 (signed: St. Insp. Behnke), BLHA Rep. 36 A II/1557.

33
. BLHA, Rep. 2 A I St, Naturalization of Fromm, Israel Julius.

34
. Advertisements for Fromms, Inc., in
Drogisten Zeitung, Zentralorgan der deutschen Drogistenschafi
, 60 (1934), nos. 5-8, 11, 17, 28, 30, 32, 45, 51, 52;
Deutsche Drogistenschafi
, no. 21, 1935; Fromm’s 1936 Nahverkehrsplan: LAB, F Rep. 270 A 2344; RKG (Jannsen) to I. G.-Farben (von Meister), dated August 3, 1937, BA R 8136/ 2994. The quotations that follow are from the same file unless otherwise indicated.

35
. See
http://depatisnet.dpma.de
.

36
.
Der Stürmer
, nos. 23, 30, 34, 39 (June-Sept. 1936); we would like to thank Christoph Kreutzmüller (Berlin) for bringing this information to our attention.

37
. Jaffa had served as legal counsel for the Osram lighting company until 1933. Osram, like Leiser, Ohrenstein & Koppel—and, of course, Fromms Act—was classified as a Jewish company. Bowing to political pressure, these companies began letting Jewish employees go in 1933 (see Barkai). In 1934, Fromm employed only five Jews: a lawyer and four sales representatives.

38
. RKG note dated June 10, 1938, BA R 8136/2994; on the Aryanization of Ebro, BA R 8136/3385.

39
.
German Credit Bureau, regarding Fromms Act and Julius Fromm, dated February 2, 1933; RA Schöne to RWM (Marwede) concerning prospective expatriate buyers holding foreign currency, dated July 18, 1938, BA R 8136/2994.

40
. RA Coper (Berlin) to BA Köpenick, dated July 11, 1946; statement by Genth, dated July 9, 1948, LAB C Rep. 105/1822; RWM (Marwede) to v. Epenstein-Mauternburg, care of Metz-Randa, dated September 30, 1939, BLHA Rep. 361/1557, OFP Berlin to Epenstein-Mauternburg, dated June 9, 1939, BLHA Rep. 36 A II/10607.

41
. Sales negotiations by the RKG 1937/38 BA R 8136/2994. Julius Fromm’s lawyer, Sally Jaffa, who was also present, later described the process in similar terms (RA Hans Noltenius to restitution office in Berlin-Schöneberg, dated February 9, 1951, LAB B Rep. 025-06, 6 WAG 765/50, p. 39f); certified signature from the Berlin commercial register, October 1, 1948; RA Coper to BA Berlin-Köpenick, July 11, 1946; special audit of Fromms Act Rubber Factory VEB by the Greater Berlin city council, bureau for regulation of state-owned companies (Foige), January 15, 1951, LAB C Rep. 105/1822; Berlin commercial register (92 HBR 7762), excerpts, LEA Berlin Reg. no. 53154.

42
. Reich Economics Ministry (Marwede) to von Epenstein-Mauternburg and Metz-Randa, regarding
Entjudung
(exclusion of the Jews) from Fromms Act Rubber Factory, Inc., dated September 30, 1938, BLHA Rep. 36 A II/1557, p. 44f.

43
. RA Coper to Köpenick district office, dated July 11, 1945, LAB Rep. 105/1822.

44
. Special audit of Fromms Act Rubber Works VEB by the Berlin city council, finance department, HA publicly owned assets (Foige), dated January 15, 1951; LAB C Rep. 105/1822.

45
. Köpenick district office of the Berlin building and housing authority; construction files for Friedrichshagener Strasse, 2653, vol. 13.

46
. Seidler.

47
.
Chief Executive Officer Viert to the building inspection department in Berlin-Köpenick, dated October 4, 1930, Köpenick district office of Berlin, building and housing authority, Friedrichshagener Strasse 38, vol. IV; Viert to the building inspection department in Berlin-Köpenick, dated October 12, 1938, ibid., vol. XII.

48
. Quoted in Overy.

49
. Herzog.

50
. On Göring’s and Epenstein’s family history, see Overy, Maser, Gritzbach, Irving, Lange, See also Emmy Göring,
An der Seite meines Mannes;
interviews with L. Schroth and S. Krassauer; on the Aryanization of the estate in Gösing, see Gamsjäger, p. 136f

51
. This quotation and the two that follow are in London.

52
. Report by Alexander Fromm, n.d., LAB B Rep. 025-06, 6 WAG 1667-95/51.

53
. Copy of the bill of sale, dated January 17, 1939, LAB B Rep. 025-6, 6 WGA 1944/51, vol. 1, sworn statement by Leo Lippmann, soap maker, dated January 13, 1956; ibid., p. 88m; statement by the Berlin chief of police, dated January 24, 1939, copy; ibid., Berlin chief of police to Fromms Act, Inc., dated December 21, 1940, LAB B Rep. 025-06, WAG 8778/59.

54
. Julius Fromm to his daughter-in-law Paulette Fromm in Paris, dated June 8, 1940, original in English. Estate of Paulette Fromm, in the possession of Henri Fromm (Paris).

55
. Lafitte.

56
. Soukup, pp. 83ff.

57
. Edgar Fromm’s experiences and observations during his internment in England and Australia at the beginning of the war 1939/ 40, recorded by W. Berent, Wiener Library, London, P III.i. (England), no. 604.

58
. The quotations about the
Dunera
affair are found in Wilczynski, pp. 32ff. (see also Klaus Wilczynski,
Auf einmal sollst du ein Fremder sein. Eine Berliner Familiengeschichte
, Berlin: Das Neue Berlin, 1998); Bartrop/Eisen, London, Kolbet, passim.

59
.
Unless otherwise indicated, this chapter and the following one are based on expropriation files, totaling 236 pages in the first instance and 152 in the second, of the Chief Finance Authority of Berlin (later Berlin-Brandenburg) regarding the asset valuation of “expatriate Fromm, Julius Israel.” They also contain records from the period of the enemy asset administration. BLHA Rep. 36 A II/10607 and 10608. Of particular interest is a currency exchange document marked “Fromm, Julius Israel, London.” Ibid. Rep. 36 A G/893.

60
. Merten to the director of the Berlin-Zehlendorf tax office, dated June 15, 1943, endorsed and forwarded to the OFP Berlin-Brandenburg on June 16, 1943, BLHA Rep. 36 A II/23862.

61
. Lindner.

62
. Ibid.

63
. Aly,
Hitler’s Beneficiaries
.

64
. On the significance of the Municipal Pawnshop of Berlin in appraising confiscated jewelry, especially from Jews, see Aly,
Hitler’s Beneficiaries
, pp. 197ff; see also Meinl/Zwilling.