Bertha Cohn
- Nr:
- 333
- Birth Name:
- Deutsch
- Birth date:
- 31.07.1843
- Year of Death:
- 1.5.1910
Leopold and Bertha Cohn
Leopold Cohn (1835–1922)
Bertha Deutsch Cohn (1843–1910)
Born: Leopold in Fraustadt (Wschowa); Bertha in Neisse (Nysa)
Died: Both in Görlitz
Leopold and Bertha (née Deutsch) Cohn belonged to the first generation of Jewish citizens to make Görlitz their home after centuries of restriction. Leopold and his brother Louis (1818–1880) were born in Fraustadt (Wschowa), and when the Prussian government lifted its ban on Jewish residence in Görlitz, the brothers were among the first to arrive.
Louis came to Görlitz in 1846, founding a textile factory that produced wool and cotton stockings. In 1865, Leopold followed, joining his brother’s enterprise and becoming a founding member of the Jewish Community of Görlitz. The Cohn brothers’ factory, located behind their residence on Jakobstraße 2/3, produced stockings for the Hadeka company, a major brand in Germany’s hosiery trade. Their business grew steadily, and both brothers became pillars of Görlitz society — serving on the board of directors of the synagogue community and representing the Jewish citizens in civic life.
Leopold and Bertha were known for their modesty and discipline. Despite their prosperity, they lived simply, rarely traveled beyond Germany, and dedicated themselves to their family and community. Leopold often emphasized three core values to his children: modesty, duty, and self-respect through personal care and good conduct.
In 1915, the family celebrated Leopold’s 80th birthday — an event long remembered by their descendants. His son Ludwig composed a poem for the occasion, sung by Leopold’s seven granddaughters dressed in gray German military uniforms — an image that granddaughter Susan later described as “looking like organ pipes.”
Under Leopold’s direction, the factory prospered and later passed to his sons Fritz (1870–1946) and Ludwig (1875–1938), who expanded production and opened a second branch in Chemnitz. During World War I, the Cohn enterprise thrived through military supply contracts with Hadeka, cementing its place as one of Görlitz’s most successful Jewish-owned industries.
Bertha passed away in 1910, and Leopold followed in 1922, both buried together in the Görlitz Jewish Cemetery. His epitaph proudly records his service as Ehren-Vorstand der Synagogen-Gemeinde (Honorary Board Member of the Synagogue Community).
The Cohn family’s legacy continued through their children and grandchildren — industrialists, scholars, and survivors who carried the family’s values of resilience and civic dedication across generations. The former Cohn factory, later seized during the Nazi era and turned into a Judenhaus, still stands today as a quiet monument to the generations of Jewish life that once animated Görlitz.
© Lauren Leiderman