Aschkenazy-Willdorff Collection

Bernhard Aschkenazy was born in July, 1869, in Sniatyn, Galicia, to David and Freida Aschkenazy. He served in the Austro-Hungarian Army from 1891 to 1893. Later, he moved to Berlin where he worked as a bookkeeper at least since 1902. On July 26th, 1923, Bernhard married Betty Maler in Berlin. On June 18th, 1932, Bernhard passed away.

Betty Maler was born in Libau, Latvia, on March 12th, 1887, to Chaim and Johanna Maler. The latter died in 1937. Since 1908, Betty worked in Berlin: first as millinery and later as a fur saleswoman. On February 26th, 1939, Betty arrived in Shanghai as a refugee. She stayed in Shanghai until 1950 and then shortly returned to Germany in order to immigrate to the U.S.A. in 1951. In the United States, she initially lived with her brother Julius in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Elfriede (Effy) Aschkenazy was born on April 17th, 1924, as the only child of Bernhard and Betty Aschkenazy. She went to school in Berlin and immigrated to the U.S.A. sometime between the 1930s and 1950.

Erich Willdorff was born on July 15th, 1905, in Tilsit, then Prussia, to Leopold and Martha (née Fischel) Willdorff. From April to November 1933, Erich worked as an assembler in a factory for clocks, radios and other devices in Berlin. Since 1933, Willdorff ran his own business, selling electronic clocks in Berlin. In 1938, Erich Willdorff immigrated to the U.S.A. Here, he married Elfriede (Effy) Aschkenazy and lived in New York, NY.