Dann Family Collection

The diaries in this collection were kept by Sophie Dann and two of her children, Sidonie and Ludwig. In addition to recording the ups and downs of family life, including illnesses, births, and deaths, the contents also reflect various shifts in sentiment and lifestyle over two generations of German Jews. All of the diaries except for the booklet of toasts in folder 9 are accompanied by English translations or summaries.

The diaries of Sophie Dann record the vicissitudes of her life, focusing primarily on the health of her children. She meticulously records all the illnesses suffered by her children and other family members as well as the doctor's prescriptions. She also makes note of other rites of passage, including first days of school, family deaths, marriages, holidays, etc. There is little reflection outside of practical events.

Ludwig Dann began his diary as a teenager and much of the contents of diaries 1 and 2 broods on his adolescent feelings and affection for his cousin, Clara who eventually marries a man twice her age, to Ludwig's great disappointment. He describes several other infatuations, all of which do not work out either due to the girl becoming engaged to another man or due to his family's disapproval. The girls are named Lina Levy, Amelie Rosenthal, and Caroline Jesselsohn. Finally, at the end of 1862 he begins to court the Rabbi's daughter, Thea Stein, to whom he is eventually wed. Diary 2 ends before their wedding and Diary 3 begins after they have a child already, so the exact dates of events are unclear. Turning now from lovelorn musings to the responsibilities of a family man, this diary is filled with news on his children and their illnesses. Their first son, Bertram, dies after a precarious first year characterized by numerous health complications. They next have a daughter, Clementine Thea, a son Albert, and another daughter Laura Leonore who died shortly after her birth. Following this pregnancy Thea suffered a miscarriage after which the diary ends. In addition to details on illnesses, his profession, and family life, the diaries also reflect this generation's changing attitudes towards religious observation. For example, Ludwig and Thea no longer eat kosher meat, though other acquaintances do. On the other hand Ludwig respected his parents' wishes regarding his choice of wife, though their marriage was not an official match.

Sidonie's diaries are very different than those of her mother and brother. They begin after she has married Leopold (diary 1 is labelled diary 2 in the translation, but there are no previous diaries in the collection) and because the couple is unable to have children, her entries focus on events in her day-to-day life, from social outings to domestic duties to various journeys made with her husband including to Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland, France, and London. Therefore she reflects far more on the greater world and aspects of life outside of family.

The booklet in folder 9 contains toasts made at various festive occasions over several years. It likely belonged to Ludwig Dann. There are no translations accompanying this booklet. The following names are mentioned in the diaries: Rosenthal, Jesselsohn, Stein, Gumprecht, Wiesenthal, Landauer, Feuchtwanger, Wertheimer, Braunschweig.