Weinmann family papers

Gustav Weinmann was born in Vienna, Austria in 1889. He served in the Austrian Army for the entirety of World War I, serving as a Captain. Aside from his military service, Gustav was employed as an inspector for the Osterreichische Bundesbahnen (Austrian Federal Railroads) from 1909 to 1921. From there, Gustav moved on to the firm of H. Schwitzer and Söhne in Vienna, where he served as the head of the tariffs department until 1929. In the meantime, Gustav married Grete Platzek (1892-1990) in 1922. The couple had two children; Ernst in 1923 and Hans in 1926. Gustav also managed a tobacco shop, awarded to him due to a disability obtained from his service in World War I. In 1929, Gustav would move on to International Gertreide Handels AG, where he continued to serve as the head of the Tariffs department. During the Kristallnacht in November 1938, he was arrested and sent to Dachau until December 22, 1938. After his arrest, Gustav was fired from his job at International Gertreide Handels AG. Knowing he needed to leave the country, he began preparations for immigration, and sold his tobacco shop to help pay for the trip. The Weinmann family left Vienna in November, 1939, and traveled aboard the Holland-American ship the “Veendam.” Gustav died in Detroit, Michigan in 1946.