Lichtwitz Family Collection
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains the papers of Jakob and Leopold Lichtwitz, as well as a few items of Rabbi Max Freudenthal. Most of the collection consists of official documents and correspondence.
The first two folders of this collection hold papers of the physician Jakob Lichtwitz. Although a few of these document his education, most show his advancement in his profession, including many documents from 1871-1880 that record his posts in the military. An 1897 certificate confers a memorial medal (Erinnerungs-Medaille) from Kaiser Wilhelm I. Later documents and official correspondence show civilian appointments. Most items from 1913 and later relate to honors he received and his reactions to them, including his nomination for honorary citizenship in Ohlau.
A smaller amount of material is available on Leopold Lichtwitz, Jakob's son. Two documents relate to his position as professor at the University of Göttingen, while two other pertain to a position in Berlin. This folder also includes two obituaries that mention is immigration and work in the United States.
A third folder contains some documents of Rabbi Max Freudenthal of Dessau, Germany. These include two invitations for him to a ball given by the Duke and Duchess in Dessau as well as an announcement of a performance at the Herzogliches Hof-Theater in Dessau. A transliteration and translation of the text of a "Wimpel" (now located in the LBI Arts and Objects Collection) is also present.
A list of photographs removed from the collection and a postcard of the Prague Old Jewish Cemetery are also included.
Dates
- 1863-1942
Creator
- Lichtwitz family (Family)
Language of Materials
The collection is primarily in German, with a few documents in English.
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers.
Access Information
Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:
Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org
Biographical Note
Jakob Lichtwitz was born on February 22, 1843 in Ober-Glogau, Posen (now Głogówek, Poland). He graduated from the Protestant Gymnasium (High School) in Ratibor in 1863 and acquired his diploma as a medical doctor from the University in Berlin in 1868. After several medical positions with the army and as a civilian in Berlin, Breslau, and other places, he was called to the district of Ohlau (now Oława, Poland) as a Kreis-Physikus in 1888. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1920, having been named an honorary citizen of Ohlau in 1913.
Leopold Lichtwitz (1877-1943) was the son of Jakob and Julie Lichtwitz. 1917-1931 he was director of the City Hospital of Hamburg (Germany), before moving on to Berlin. He immigrated to the United States in 1933, joining Montefore Hospital in New York City, with which he stayed affiliated until his retirement in 1941.
Extent
0.25 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Lichtwitz Family Collection documents the professional lives of the physician Jakob Lichtwitz and his son Leopold. There is some additional material on Rabbi Max Freudenthal of Dessau. The collection includes official documents, correspondence and certificates as well as a few invitations and a postcard.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in one series.
Other Finding Aid
A three-page item-level inventory exists for this collection.
Separated Material
Photographs from this collection have been removed to the LBI Photograph Collection.
A ritual object (Wimpel), originally with the Freudenthal Family material, has been removed to the LBI Art and Objects Collection.
Processing Information
The collection was processed in 2012. The folder "Familie Freudenthal" was renamed "Rabbi Max Freudenthal."
- Title
- Guide to the Papers of the Lichtwitz Family 1863-1942 AR 1704
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Dianne Ritchey
- Date
- © 2012
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Edition statement
- This version was derived from LichtwitzFamily.xml
Revision Statements
- July 17, 2013 : Links to digital objects added in Container List.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository