Siegfried Fritz Heinrich Collection

Siegfried Fritz Heinrich was born on May 28, 1889 in Altenburg, Thuringia (Germany), the son of Isidor Heinrich and his wife Johanna née Bernstein. He had two brothers, Walter and Willy. In 1914 Fritz joined the German Army voluntarily and was decorated after the war with the Iron Cross. His brother, Walter Heinrich, was killed in action in Aug. 1915. Fritz graduated from law school at the University of Erlangen in 1919.

On Dec. 12, 1925, Fritz got married to the dentist Raissa Halberstadt in Warsaw, Poland. She was born on Jun. 5, 1896 in Babruysk (or Bobruisk, Belarus), the daughter of Meier Hirsh Halberstadt and his wife Sara Rachel, née Janitz. The couple then moved to England, where they had two sons, Irvin George (b. 1927) and Ronald James Montague (Ronnie, b. 1930). The Heinrichs became British citizens in 1934. At the same time, Siegfried Fritz Heinrich changed his name officially to Frederick Henry. He worked in the lumber trade in London. From October to December 1940, Henry was interned as an enemy alien at Winter Quarters Camp, Ascot.

In January 1949 Frederick and Raissa Henry moved to New York City. At that time their sons already resided in the US (George in California and Ronnie in Boston, Mass.). Frederick and Raissa Henry became US citizens in 1954.