Directory listing for Julius Wohlgemuth Co. in 1924
Wohlgemuth family left Danzig in 1911-12
This post was written as an email on September 24, 2016, but was not previously posted to Family History Machine.
I looked at more of the directories and found that the Julius Wohlgemuth (Fa.) limited-liability freight and moving company is listed by that name but under new ownership, Regehr & Drabandt, beginning in 1912. Later it was owned solely by Peter Regehr and it continued in business at the same address and phone number all the way to the last available directory in 1942.
Throughout most of those years, there is an advertisement displayed for the business in addition to its standard listing. The attachment shows the display ad.
It is interesting that the company name was apparently important to the new owners. Instead of rebranding as Regehr and Drabandt, they were buying a going concern with a name, reputation, customer relationships, etc. By the 1930s, the name must have sounded vaguely Jewish but not definitively so, since there were also Christian Wohlgemuths.
For our family history, what this means is we can now place the relocation of the family to Berlin before World War I instead of after. There are no more residential listings for Isaak after 1911. Julius continued to have a residential address in Danzig until 1915 but not after.
As for when the family came to Danzig from Elbing, The directory files listed for 1905 and earlier won't open for me—some technical problem. So whether it is 1902 or up to 1906 we still don't know.
No responses necessary unless you want to. Writing these emails is my blogging process. Later I post them on the site.
