Rindsberg Family Collection

Whereas a large variety of documents, photographs and correspondence offer a broad documentation of Edwin Rindsberg and his family, it is particularly the psychiatric case of Max Rindsberg that takes a prominent position in the collection. Bringing together voices of the state, the family and friends, as well as medical and psychological research, the juridical and personal papers pertaining to this case do not only illustrate Max Rindsberg's individual experience as a World War I soldier and its impact on his family relations, but also allow insight into the larger cultural discourse on war traumata and the status of (Jewish) veterans in Germany between 1918 and 1939.

The material in Folder 1 pertains to Edwin Rindsberg, his life and work in Germany and his immigration to the United States. Included are mostly letters by various German and American employees. Additional material comprises school records, a marriage announcement, a passport, a work ID, and a blood donor certificate.

Max Rindsberg's correspondence can be found in Folder 2. It contains for the most part postcards and letters sent to his brother Edwin, in which he describes his experience as a soldier in World War I.

Folders 3 and 4 document the long-term hospitalization of Max Rindsberg and the legal proceedings surrounding it. Included are bills, reports and correspondence from hospitals and social administration offices, as well as a large number of juridical papers, including court decisions, medical opinions, witness statements and family reports. Of particular interest are, on the one hand, explanations by the court arguing against a causal relation between war and mental illness, and psychiatric opinions highlighting the impact of "the peculiarities and the milieu of being a soldier" on their mental health, on the other. Equally interesting may be reports by family members describing in detail Max Rindsberg's changing behavior at home in the post-war years, as his mental state deteriorated.

Folder 5 contains various documents about Max Rindsberg, predominantly school reports, but also a military ID, a pay book and transfer papers.

Folder 6 contains a diverse body of correspondence to and from different members of the Rindsberg family, mostly postcards as well as a few letters.

Folder 7 contains a relatively large number of family photographs, including various pictures of immediate and remote members of the family as well as some pictures depicting the main synagogues in Nuremberg and Munich before they were burned down in 1938.

Other documents pertaining to the Rindsberg family and their immigration are contained in Folder 8. Included are genealogical papers, marriage certificates, alien registration IDs, birth certificates, naturalization papers, passports and a book containing wedding telegrams.