Biography
Heinz (later Henry) Landman is the son of Regina and Joseph Landman. He was born in Augsburg German on June 12, 1920 and had two sisters, Johanna (Joan) and Irma. Augsburg had a Jewish population of about 1,000 people. His family was upper middle class, had deep ties to Germany but attended the synagogue regularly. Though they encountered mild antisemitism, they had very few problems prior to Kristallnacht. However, everything changed in November 1938. One day at 5:00 AM, two Gestapo men came to the house asking for Henry. He was 18 at the time. They went through his drawers and then made him go with them to the police station. On his way to the station, he saw smoke coming out of the synagogue. Henry was thrown in jail and had no idea why. Every ten minutes or so another Jew would arrive until approximately a dozen Jews were held. They then were loaded into a police van and transported to another local prison where they joined about 200 of Augsburg's Jews. Among the 200 were some of Henry's friends, and his father Joseph. The police put everyone into a large bus and drove the assembled Jews to Dachau. The camp had a canteen where the prisoners could buy snacks if they had money. However, since most of the prisoners had little to no money with them, the Nazis had them write letters home to their families saying that they are healthy and safe but needed money. When Henry was leaving Dachau, he wanted to take something with him to prove that he was there. He took along a money order that his mother had sent to the camp. Henry's father was released from the camp very early because he was in charge of the Augsburg Sports Club, and the Nazis needed him to complete all the paperwork turning the club to a non-Jew. As soon as Joseph returned home from the camp, he obtained papers for Henry to go to England. After the paperwork went through, Henry was released from the camp. Henry was in Dachau for a total of six weeks.
Joseph obtained a visa to the United States, but before he could leave he had to undergo a medical check-up. The doctor discovered that he had a small heart murmur. Because of this, the Americans feared he would not be able to support his family if they all moved to America together. Joseph was allowed to go by himself and told he could bring his family over after he had saved enough money. Joseph left for America, and a few months later Henry Landman's mother and sisters sailed directly to America from Germany.
Henry left for England. However Henry had no friends or relatives there and spoke no English. After arriving in England, he went to the immigration office in London and they issued him a stipend for 30 pounds a week. He rented a very cheap room in a boarding house and eventually received a work visa. He worked in London for six months until he could join his family in the United States.
After arriving in America, he joined his father in New York and opened up a fur business. In January 1943 he was inducted into the United States Army. His first 9-month assignment was in Oran, North Africa. He served at a Replacement Depot. Subsequently he fought in Italy, France, and, from 15 March 1945, on German soil. On 28 April 1945, he entered his native city, Augsburg. After arriving in Augsburg, Henry took a tour of the town and found that about 80% of the area was destroyed. He stayed in the Army for three years. After returning to the United States, he continued working in the fur business with his father. He then met his wife Lisa. They married and had two sons. Henry's two grandparents Gershon (b. 1858) and Sophie (b. 1868) Landman were deported to Theresienstadt in 1942 from Munich, Germany. They both perished in the Holocaust.
