Oskar Herlitz

Oskar Herlitz was born in Berlin-Oberschöneweide on 19 March 1917, as son of Johanna Herlitz, née Cohn, and Ludwig Herlitz. His father - a trained lithographer - had lived and worked in the neighbourhood since 1905. Oskar had three older sisters.  The family was rooted in Oberschöneweide for decades. Oskar's grandmother Rosa Cohn and his aunt Selma Müller, née Cohn, lived nearby. 

When his father - the main provider - died in 1933, Oskar was only 17 years old. The cost of living now had to be met in other ways. His mother rented out one of her two rooms to strangers in order to cover the rent.  Oskar's sisters Dorothea and Henriette, both single and already working on their own, returned to Wattstr.11 around 1939. The family moved closer together in the face of the increasing regimentation of the Jewish population. 

Around 1940, Oskar married Inge Jacobsohn. Her mother gave the young couple the second room of the flat. She now slept with the two daughters in the kitchen.

Oskar had to do forced labour at Siemens-Schuckart-Werke until the summer of 1942. He worked as a lift fitter in assembly. His wife straightened springs at the Germania spiral spring factory. 

In June 1942, Oskar's mother Johanna and his sister Dorothea were deported to the Sobibor extermination camp on one of the so-called Osttransports. Their fate is unknown, but it can be assumed that both were murdered shortly after arrival.

Oskar and his wife had no financial means of escape. He earned 35 RM per month, Inge was paid 52 pfennigs per hour. The furnishings were later valued at 70 RM. This made it impossible for the young couple to escape the threat of deportation.

On 15 August 1942, Oskar and Inge Herlitz were deported from the Putlitzstrasse goods station in Berlin-Moabit directly to Riga/Latvia on transport 18. It is assumed that they were shot in the Bikernieki forest immediately after arriving at the Riga-Skirotava railway station.