Mathis Katz Family
Mathis Katz - family tree.
Mates, Mathias, Mathes, Mathis KATZ
Mates was born in 1875, assuming in Sokal. He was the eldest known child of Herz Wolf KATZ and Sara Cheine GRUBER.
In 1904, at the age of 35, he married Margula PFEFFER, 32, from Radziechow (today: Radekhiv, Ukraine).
In September of the same year, their daughter Mary was born.
An Austrian national, he fought for Austria during WWI. He left Poland for Gera in Thuringia before WWI.
Mathis and Margula Katz were arrested Thursday afternoon, October 27th, 1938
Max Frankel, p 17:
"...a good number, like Mary's parents in Gera, were deported in relative comfort, aboard passenger trains..."
After being deported to Poland, they went to Krakow, where Jakob had "...long ago smuggled some of his money, and where we could live with a relative, Uncle Isaak Pfeffer, the chocolate maker...
Mathes died in Krakow in 1939 of a heart attack. He was 64.
Max Frankel, p 31:
"...The Jews in Krakow stumbled around the city with large yellow stars... For what she knew was the last time, Mary hugged her mother goodbye..."
In July 1940, Margule Katz filled out the following registration form in the Krakow Ghetto:
Margule Katz - Krakow Ghetto 1940.
Jewish Association of Krakow.
July, 18, 1940
In the office of the Jewish Association of Krakow appeared Margule Katz, no profession, from Gera, Thuringia, residing 5 Targowa sreet , Krakau, and the witnesses Matias and Scheindel Gäensel.
The witnesses state the following:
We are personally acquainted with Margule Katz, born in 1872 in Radziechow, widow, with no profession, from Gera, Thuringia, currently living 5, Targowa street, Krakau, under the juridiction of Sokal.
Margule may have later been relocated to Tuchow together with Leo and Frida Katz, as she is mentioned in a brief message sent through the Red Cross by Leo, on May 11th, 1942:
"We are in good health, and so is Aunt Margule."
If she was in Tuchow then, it can be assumed that she shared the fate of Leo and Frida Katz - most likely the Belzec death camp.