LINDAUER
PART 2
Last week we learned about Sigmund Lindauer's professional life and his contribution to the liberation of corsets.
This week we will take a closer look at his personal life.
Continuing our story – Sigmund married Rosa Kahn, and in 1889, they had an only daughter named Marie.
The Lindauer family lived in abundance. Starting in 1906, they resided in a luxurious villa in Bad Cannstatt, designed in an upscale style. They were known for celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in grand fashion and actively participated in the cultural life of the time -attending concerts, theater performances, and exhibitions.
Marie documented the family’s many travels in her diary. They often visited Julius Lindauer, Sigmund’s brother, who lived in Paris and had also found success in the corset industry, including registering numerous patents. In the spring of 1907, the family traveled to Paris to pick up Marie and stayed for about a week to purchase a summer clothing collectionfor her and for Rosa.
They regularly vacationed in prestigious destinations such as Baden-Baden, St. Moritz, London, and Milan. In 1908, Sigmund and Rosa took the express train to the French Riviera - visiting Lyon, Cannes, and Nice, and returned home via Geneva and Zurich, after four weeks of a relaxing holiday.
Rosa & Sigmund Lindauer 1930
Fun Fact
The Lindauer family - Sigmund, Rosa, and Marie lived in a villa with a large garden in the hills of Bad Cannstatt.
Directly across from them lived two of the greatest pioneers in the world of engines and automobiles - Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach.
At that time, the entire neighborhood served as a hub for industry and innovation: while Lindauer was active in the field of textiles and lingerie, Daimler and Maybach were secretly working on developing gas-powered engines - the prototype of the modern car engine.
Fearing their idea would be copied, they turned the greenhouse in their backyard into a secret development lab.
They worked late into the night, and rumors spread throughout the city that they might be counterfeiting money — as metallic explosions could be heard from the greenhouse.
The gardener reported them to the local police, who launched an investigation - but found no evidence of any wrongdoing.
The Lindauer family lived in difficult times – the German Empire, World War I and the beginning of the rise of Nazism. They sold their villa out of pressure and fear that the Nazis would confiscate it, years later they tried to return the property to the family, to the best of my knowledge without success – because the sale was made voluntarily
Today, the “greenhouse” of Maybach and Daimler – which later became the Mercedes-Benz brand! – has been renovated and is used as a historical museum in the city to this day
In 1986 – 50 years after Sigmund’s death, a street was named after him
– Sigmund-Lindauer-Weg –
In recognition of his contribution to industry and society.
But sadly, the story doesn’t end with “they lived happily ever after.”
Sigmund did everything he could to protect his wife Rosa and the family business from the rising tide of antisemitism.
After he passed away of natural causes, Rosa was left a widow, nearly 70 years old, alone, in a never-ending struggle.
She was forced to deal with the revocation of the company’s copyrights, and ongoing boycotts aimed at cutting off raw material supplies to the factory.
Eventually, she was forced out of the company against her will and was robbed by the Nazi regime.
Rosa Lindauer was sent to a forced residence - Weissenstein Castle, where she lived under harsh conditions, until she was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Before her deportation, on August 19, 1942, she wrote to her sister in Switzerland:
“Today I am as sad as I can tell you. If you received this letter - I am on my way with my friends on a ‘trip’. Don’t be angry. God will help us one day so that we may return. You can imagine how my heart feels. We must carry our fate! I hope I will be able to write you and send our address.”
Her hope did not come true.
Rosa Lindauer arrived in Theresienstadt, but died just a few days later at the age of 76 - due to the horrific living conditions.
Rose Lindauer
Weissenstein castle
Rosa’s story closely resembles that of Babette - a strong, intelligent woman who lived a good life, raised a model family, managed the family business after her husband’s death - and in the end, died under terrible circumstances.
Points to Reflect On:
What if Lindauer and Daimler-Maybach had truly collaborated? For example, innovative car upholstery made from stretch fabrics - we could have had some great royalties from Mercedes-Benz :)
That same neighborhood was home to several creators and inventors - how does such a fertile environmentemerge in one place?
Is there a connection between economic well-being, personal safety, and creative freedom?
Coming Next Week: A Summary of the Lindauer Family
What happened to their daughter, Marie?
What happened to the factory?
And how is Rosa connected to Greta’s painting?
Shabbat Shalom
