My name is Jürgen Bendt, I'm German and born 1955 in a village named Willich. About 30 years ago I started my ancestry research. It was good to do it at that time, some of my aunts and my mother were alive and could tell me a little bit more about our family history. My father Anton. who died in 1990 (born 1925) never told me anything about his family and the time between 1933 and 1945.
When I was a young child I was always wondering that I heard never anything about my Grandfather and my Grandmother. My Grandfather Karl died early in 1953, my Grandmother Hedwig Friederike died early in 1958. Therefore it was quiet normal that we didn't talk so much about the family side of my father.
Up from the day my father past away I got a lot of information about my fathers family side and what happened in the time of the Nazi regime in Germany. Of course I had some information about my Jewish family part in front of my research, but nothing special and in detail.
So I started to collect more and more information and what I heard made me really sad and had a deep impact to me.
The story starts with my Great Grandmother Elisabeth Strauss and my Great Grandfather Karl Wilhelm Bähren.
Ella Strauss (Jewish and born in Solingen, 1882-1937, father Meyer Strauss, mother Louisa Rothschild) was married with Karl Wilhelm Bähren (1877-1957), they lived in Willich not far away from the Dutch border. Elisabeth didn't change their Jewish religion, but her nine children became catholic. One of these children was my Grandmother Hedwig Friederike, later she married my Grandfather Karl Bendt.
Some information about the 9 children:
1. Hedwig Friederike Bähren 1904 - 1958 (my grandma, she lived her whole life in Willich), my father Anton (born 1925) became a soldier when he was 16 years old, he did it to protect his mother, during the war Hedwig lived at the border of the village without having access to anything, she was supported by her relatives. She was divorced from her husband 1947.
2. Gertrud Hermine Bähren 1912 - 1992 (left Germany in 1937, she came to a Jewish uncle who owned a butchery in New York, married a Jewish man with Surname Meyer, two daughters Barbara and Emily, Surname of Emily was Richman, whole family was Jewish!
3. Heinrich Franzz Bähren Strauss (Heinz) 1922 - 1999 (went 1953 to Bolivia, married there a Bolivian woman, 3 children, died in 1999, buried in Montero)
His son Carlos wrote: Hier hat ein Mann von tadelloser Ehre, 'el gringo' Don Enrique gelebt. In Willich, Krefeld am 25. Juli 1922 geboren. Gas- und Heizungsinstallateur. im Jahr 1951 nach Bolivien ausgewandert. In Montero arbeitete er an der Montage der Heizkessel der Zuckerrohrmühle "Ingenio Azucarero Guabirá". Vater von drei Kinder. Er ruht auf dem Friedhof von Montero. Sein Lebensmotto je nach Laune: "Das Leben ist zu kurz! Das Leben ist zu lang!".
4. Martha Sophia Bähren van Stratum , she married Solomon van Stratum (died in Auschwitz 23.4.1943 together with her husband and her 2 years old little daughter), it was told that Martha had the opportunity of surviving without husband and child but declined that, all 3 went together into the gas chamber.
5. Johanna Bähren, died 1970 in Willich , lived her whole life in Willich, 2 sons (Hans Siegfried, Karl Josef)
6. Adele Bähren - Husband Heinz Hönig (went in 1953 to Argentina together with Heinz Hönig, died 1980 in Buenos Aires
7. Wilhelm Bähren (died in Bielefeld)
8. Walter Bähren (had problems with the Nazi Regime,was a political prisoner and was shot 1945 in Buchenwald)
9. Louise Bähren, later her surname was Rissmann, she died in Hamm/Unna 29.04.1969
