The Wohlgemuths *were* in the moving business in Danzig
This post was written September 24, 2016 but was not published (with minor edits) on Family History Machine until today.
I have been skeptical for several reasons of the detail from Walter's "Helga's Story" that Elly's father Isaak had been in the moving business in Danzig before moving to Berline. For one, Isaak's profession is given as "mill owner" on his 1898 marriage certificate. Also, it didn't make sense he was anti-Ostjuden, as we've been told, since they would have been a big part of a mover's clientele in Danzig as they came through the city on the way to the west.
Also, there has been this lingering question about just who was Julius Wohlgemuth, whom we originally believed was Elly's father.
I have just discovered a trove of address books from Danzig at many-roads.com that answers both questions. So far I looked only at 1907 but immediately hit paydirt. Attached are images of the Wohlgemuth listings in the 1907 address books.
Both Isaak and Julius are listed as co-owners ("Mitinhaber") of the firm Julius Wohlgemuth, which is called a "carrier" ("Spediteur") and provides "furniture transport, residential and office." The business address is on a major Danzig street, Poggenpfuhl Straße. Julius's listing shows a graphic image for a telephone. His telephone number is 611.
Clearly, Julius is the older brother of Isaak and the senior partner in the business since it uses his name and the business listing is given under Julius.
I thought you'd want to hear about this development right away. I've been holding back on further news of the Katz family. Betty's father Louis was born not in Kolberg but the East Prussian town of Heilberg (now Linzbark Warminski in Poland). His parents were Hirsch Levin Katz and Taube Conrad.
