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De sigarenfabriek van Isay Rottenberg. De verborgen geschiedenis van een joodse Amsterdammer in nazi-Duitsland
De sigarenfabriek van Isay Rottenberg van Hella en Sandra Rottenberg is een even aangrijpend als boeiend verslag: geschiedenis en familieverhaal in één.
Een oproep over geroofd joods bezit brengt Hella en Sandra op het spoor van de sigarenfabriek die hun grootvader, Isay Rottenberg, in 1932 overnam in het stadje Döbeln bij Dresden. Niemand, noch hun grootvader, noch hun vaders, had hun er ooit iets over verteld. De fabriek blijkt ook niet de eerste de beste, maar de modernste van Duitsland, waartegen de concurrenten fel campagne voeren. In Duitse archieven vinden ze een schat aan documenten, waarin op de voet te volgen is hoe de Nederlands-joodse ondernemer Isay Rottenberg onverschrokken strijd levert om zijn bedrijf in nazi-Duitsland te behouden. Waarom stapte hij in dit avontuur? En waarom bleef hij toen Hitler een halfjaar later aan de macht kwam?
‘Een gewetensvolle, vasthoudende speurtocht, een meeslepend verhaal, vol inkijkjes in de vooroorlogse machtsuitoefening door de nazi’s.’ - Jolande Withuis ‘Isay Rottenberg... wat een man... wat een verhaal... wat een tijd... Verleden tijd? Of valt daar ook nu iets van te leren? Ademloos leesvoer.’ - Job Cohen
Een oproep over geroofd joods bezit brengt Hella en Sandra op het spoor van de sigarenfabriek die hun grootvader, Isay Rottenberg, in 1932 overnam in het stadje Döbeln bij Dresden. Niemand, noch hun grootvader, noch hun vaders, had hun er ooit iets over verteld. De fabriek blijkt ook niet de eerste de beste, maar de modernste van Duitsland, waartegen de concurrenten fel campagne voeren. In Duitse archieven vinden ze een schat aan documenten, waarin op de voet te volgen is hoe de Nederlands-joodse ondernemer Isay Rottenberg onverschrokken strijd levert om zijn bedrijf in nazi-Duitsland te behouden. Waarom stapte hij in dit avontuur? En waarom bleef hij toen Hitler een halfjaar later aan de macht kwam?
‘Een gewetensvolle, vasthoudende speurtocht, een meeslepend verhaal, vol inkijkjes in de vooroorlogse machtsuitoefening door de nazi’s.’ - Jolande Withuis ‘Isay Rottenberg... wat een man... wat een verhaal... wat een tijd... Verleden tijd? Of valt daar ook nu iets van te leren? Ademloos leesvoer.’ - Job Cohen
- GenresNonfiction
271 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 22, 2020
3.5 sterren
Dit is beslist een belangrijk document voor de betrokken familie. Sommige informatie is heel gedetailleerd weergegeven, nodig om er een boek van te kunnen maken denk ik zo. Er zijn delen die wat langdradig en lastiger door te komen zijn.
Dit is beslist een belangrijk document voor de betrokken familie. Sommige informatie is heel gedetailleerd weergegeven, nodig om er een boek van te kunnen maken denk ik zo. Er zijn delen die wat langdradig en lastiger door te komen zijn.
October 21, 2018
Finished: 21.10.2018
Genre: non-fiction
Rating: C
Language: Dutch
Conclusion:
Two cousins Hella and Sandra Rottenberg
investigate their grandfather's past in 1930's
Germany that has remained in the family's shadows.
Isay Rottenberg (Jew from Amsterdam)
clashed with the Nazi authorities and
refused to give up his ultra-modern (...in those days)
cigar factory. The family wanted answers: Why did Isay start his business in a country where the Nazis would be in power only 6 months later? This book has been shortlisted for Libris Literature Prize 2018 for history.
Genre: non-fiction
Rating: C
Language: Dutch
Conclusion:
Two cousins Hella and Sandra Rottenberg
investigate their grandfather's past in 1930's
Germany that has remained in the family's shadows.
Isay Rottenberg (Jew from Amsterdam)
clashed with the Nazi authorities and
refused to give up his ultra-modern (...in those days)
cigar factory. The family wanted answers: Why did Isay start his business in a country where the Nazis would be in power only 6 months later? This book has been shortlisted for Libris Literature Prize 2018 for history.
January 18, 2022
I read the English Translation:
Sandra and Hella Rottenberg have written a comprehensive memoir about their grandfather Isay Rottenberg, who for a short time, (1932-1934), was the owner of Deutsche Zigarren-Werke, the only mechanized cigar factory in Germany. Unfortunately for Isay, he lost the factory with the rise of the Nazis.
Amsterdam was actually home for Isay when he bought the factory, and it would always be home for the Rottenbergs, Isay,his wife Lena, and his children, Alfred, Edwin and Toni. They survived the war, and Isay went into a new business, manufacturing straws. Isay never spoke of the cigar factory after the war.
When Sandra and Hella, cousins, and Isay’s granddaughters, were informed that perhaps, they were entitled to reparations for losses their grandfather may have incurred at the hands of the Nazis, they decided to investigate the details of Isay’s life before the war. They recalled hearing talk of a cigar factory in Germany, so they decided to do some research. They found a part of their grandfather’s life they knew nothing about: he owned a cigar factory in Dobëin Germany!
Dobëln, was the center of cigar manufacturing Germany. Isay’s factory employed 670 people, had American made machines, and was capable of pumping out more than 60 million cigars per year. This seems like a huge number of cigars, and, I personally was shocked by this number! But it is true.
Although Isay lost his investment in the cigar factory, it was not without a fierce battle Isay tried everything, and the Nazis did not intimidate him. However, in the end, the Nazis would never accept having a Dutch Jew owning the only mechanized cigar manufacturing factory in Germany.
This book is a fascinating read. I knew it would be! Sandra and Hella have done an incredible job. Thank you and for my copy of in return for my honest review. .
Sandra and Hella Rottenberg have written a comprehensive memoir about their grandfather Isay Rottenberg, who for a short time, (1932-1934), was the owner of Deutsche Zigarren-Werke, the only mechanized cigar factory in Germany. Unfortunately for Isay, he lost the factory with the rise of the Nazis.
Amsterdam was actually home for Isay when he bought the factory, and it would always be home for the Rottenbergs, Isay,his wife Lena, and his children, Alfred, Edwin and Toni. They survived the war, and Isay went into a new business, manufacturing straws. Isay never spoke of the cigar factory after the war.
When Sandra and Hella, cousins, and Isay’s granddaughters, were informed that perhaps, they were entitled to reparations for losses their grandfather may have incurred at the hands of the Nazis, they decided to investigate the details of Isay’s life before the war. They recalled hearing talk of a cigar factory in Germany, so they decided to do some research. They found a part of their grandfather’s life they knew nothing about: he owned a cigar factory in Dobëin Germany!
Dobëln, was the center of cigar manufacturing Germany. Isay’s factory employed 670 people, had American made machines, and was capable of pumping out more than 60 million cigars per year. This seems like a huge number of cigars, and, I personally was shocked by this number! But it is true.
Although Isay lost his investment in the cigar factory, it was not without a fierce battle Isay tried everything, and the Nazis did not intimidate him. However, in the end, the Nazis would never accept having a Dutch Jew owning the only mechanized cigar manufacturing factory in Germany.
This book is a fascinating read. I knew it would be! Sandra and Hella have done an incredible job. Thank you and for my copy of in return for my honest review. .
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews