Translation by Lesley Loy

Luitpoldstrasse 1

Luitpoldstrasse 1
Built by Michael Beisser
Year of Construction 1893
Change of Ownership Michael Beisser’s widow inherited the house on his death
  1901 the house passed to Nathan Rosenfelder, banker. He rebuilt it in 1922
  In 1927 the house was bought by Karl Weinmann, merchant and banker
  It later passed to the family of David Heimann.
  The house was sold to Theodor Wissmüller, dentist, on 09.10.1934.

The Weinmann family decided to leave Gunzenhausen in 1934.  They sold the house in November to the dentist Dr. Theodor Wissmüller.

Son Max wrote us:

“… I was present when my father sold the house, after a long negotiation, for the price of 14.000 Marks. … After the war my father sent the dentist a confirmation that the house had been sold for a realistic price…”

We were able to receive all the documentation on the change of ownership of the house from the Wissmüller family. It's interesting that it wasn't Theodor Wissmüller, the dentist, who carried out the negotiations for purchase but his father, Mr Michael Wissmüller, who at the time was a head teacher in the small neighboring village of Wald. According to the documents, he dealt with the bank David Heimann (Marktplatz 16), Karl Weinmann's employer and his father-in-law.
After the war this house too was subject to the official control of assets, and Michael Wissmüller had to look for the current address of the Weinmann family in order to request the necessary confirmation. He received the following response from the Central Committee of Liberated Jews on 19 February 1947.

We have carried out far reaching investigations to locate the person you are looking for, banker Karl Weinmann, and we have been able to find out that he emigrated from here to Argentina. His departure registration is dated 1.6.1937. We shall now make enquiries in Argentina and will let you know as soon as we have any positive news.
Yours faithfully
CENTRAL COMMITTEE B. Konichsky, Eng.

The family must have received the exact address already a week later, as head teacher Wissmüller wrote to Mr Karl Weinmann on 28 February. He asked him to confirm that the purchase had been carried out lawfully and without any pressure and that he renounced any rights for reparation claims regarding this property:

“Dear Mr Weinmann,  I very much regret that I need to bother you with this, but if I cannot produce the confirmation from you, the whole business will go on for an unnecessary long time.  

Actually Mrs Selma Rosenfelder has already given the bank the confirmation, which means the property has been released.  But the military government also requires a sworn statement (affidavit) about the purchase of the house from the buyers.  

Wissmüller Michael
Head Teacher
Wald, 23 November 1947
Affidavit
I swear the following affidavit regarding the purchase of the house located at Luitpoldstr. 1 Gunzenhausen, owner Dr. Theo Wissmüller (seller the company D. Heinmann, general partnership, bank in Gunzenhausen) :
"Following his activities as assistant at the Würzburg university clinic and temporary replacements for various dentists, my son Theodor Wissmüller announced his intention to settle in Gunzenhausen and at his request I looked for suitable accommodation for him. We placed an advertisement in Gunzenhausen's local newspaper, the Altmühlbote, and a Jewish businessman who we knew, (Josef Guggenheimer) told my wife that Mr. Weinmann (owner of the company D. Heimann) Luitpoldstr. 1 had suitable rooms to let.
On talking to Mr. Weinmann he told me that he was already in negotiations to sell the house. To my question regarding the sales price, Mr. Weinmann replied that it would be RM 16.000. After a short negotiation we agreed on RM 14.000. The official taxable value of the house at that time was RM 7.500. As my son had only asked me to look for rental space, I asked for a day's grace to think it over, which Mr. Weinmann agreed to.

The sale was formalized on 9 October 1934 in the Gunzenhausen notary office, without the knowledge or consent of my son. It was a month later, on 6 November 1934, that my son agreed to the purchase. The full price of RM 14.000 was paid in cash to Mr. Weinmann prior to 1 January 1935.
The attached statement from Mr. Weinmann proves that the house purchase was carried out legally and without pressure.
Signed M. Wissmüller "

Confirmation
"I hereby confirm to head teacher Mr Wissmüller of Wald that the sale of his house located Luitpoldstr 1 in Gunzenhausen took place legally and under no pressure.
Signed Carlos Weinmann"

This must have been a difficult statement for the family, as they had very little money in Argentina.  But the banker Mr Weinmann was extremely correct and renounced any reparation claims, although at this time he already suffered from heart troubles.