Dr. med. Arthur Czellitzer

Editor of Jüdische Familienforschung. https://archive.org/details/judischefamilien

HOLOCAUST VICTIM WAS A QUIET HERO by Horst A. Reschke <hreschke@hotmail.com <mailto:hreschke@hotmail.com> > I opened the package almost reverently when it arrived last week, because I was familiar with its content: Numbers 1-17 and 35-50 of J?dische Familien-Forschung, bound volumes of a unique publication whose title translates to "Jewish Genealogy." My treasure includes the very first and the very last issue of the magazine, the beginning and the end. I had seen the entire set before, at the LDS Family History Library, one of the few fortunate libraries which counts the rare set among its holdings. I am going to suggest that it be microfilmed and placed with the rare books. That I found the 38 numbers through the Internet, at an antique book dealer's place in Germany is nothing short of undeserved luck. By now you are wondering what makes this magazine so special. The answer is: several aspects. For one, it is the first and for many years was the only, German-Jewish genealogical publication in existence. It, and the organization which published it, the Gesellschaft f?r J?dische Familien-Forschung, the "Society for Jewish Genealogy," were the brainchildren of Dr. Arthur Czellitzer, gifted ophthalmologist, in Berlin, Germany. He created them in 1924, when he was 55 years old, thereby fulfilling a "sehr alten Herzenswunsch," a very old heart's desire. Thirty-seven years earlier, while still in high school, he had begun collecting data and tales of family traditions pertaining to his own kin. He had high hopes for the project and somehow managed to maintain a high level of optimism throughout the 14 years of activity with the society and its publication. Despite difficult times, during which he was compelled to cope with the necessity of forever needing to find yet new printers for the magazine, he kept his calm. Not only did he cope with the technical imperatives of producing a magazine, but also in that publication he succeeded in writing and compiling quality material pertaining to Jewish genealogical research and in stimulating other scholars and writers to do the same. When, in 1938, the Nazis finally shut him down permanently, Dr. Czellitzer took his family and settled in Breda, the Netherlands. On May 12, 1940, ahead of the German invasion, the town was evacuated and Dr. Czellitzer and family joined the trek to France. I was privileged to translate his 39-page, typed, account of this hair-raising experience, which ended in disaster. In its effort to escape to England, the family became separated in Belgium, when two Belgian gendarmes arrested Dr. Czellitzer. It was one of the great ironies that, because of his German passport, he was interned as a "suspicious German." His wife and daughters were compelled to continue their effort to reach the coast without their husband and father. They managed to make it to England, where their German passport also became a detriment. They, too, were placed in an internment camp. Mrs. Czellitzer, again, irony of ironies, was detained for 15 dreadful weeks -- four of them in solitary confinement -- at Holoway, the notorious English prison for women. Dr. Czellitzer never saw his family again in this life. The Belgians released him after six days. He made his way back to Holland and his home. There he lived in solitude for three years until, on April 9, 1943, Nazi authorities arrested him and transported him to the Dutch camp Westerbork, a huge collection hub for Jews slated to be transported to the death camps in Germany and Poland. On July 13, 1943 he was taken to Sobibor concentration camp, in Poland. Three days later, on July 16, 1943, the Nazis murdered him. His published and unpublished works are his legacy. The valuable bound volumes of J?dische Familien-Forschung contain not only many important facts and data pertinent to Jewish genealogical research, but also the precious thoughts and sentiments of this great scholar and idealist. Could he see the extent to which Jewish genealogy has blossomed and flourished worldwide today, he would be proud. I encourage the Jewish genealogical community to hold Dr. Czellitzer in fond remembrance, even to name an effort or project after him and then fund it and carry it out. In times past, although not in recent years, I have been in touch with Dr. Czellitzer's daughter, Dr. Rosemary Stevens and his grandson Dr. Thomas Stevens, both physicians. In a separate article I intend to review Dr. Arthus Czellitzer's 121-page unpublished manuscript Geschichte meiner Familie, which he wrote after being separated from his family. It contains a wealth of genealogical and historical information pertaining to many prominent Jewish families. I have permission to translate it and several other writings by Dr. Czellitzer, but must postpone those projects until the work in connection with my column in "Heritage Quest Magazine" <http://www.heritagequest.com/> eases up a bit. Right now I simply wanted to highlight the heartache, tragedy and sorrow, yet calm assurance and quiet triumph of this uncommon man. Let us honor his memory!

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Czellitzer