Two hours with Margot Rosenberg

I was supposed to meet with Margot earlier in my week (when in Florida) but was unable to make it to Lauderhill until the Sunday before my departure. Margot was my main reason to hit Miami and I was determined to squeeze in what little time I could.

Luckily, she welcomed me with open arms despite the stress of the recent hurricane. We had a solid two hours to discuss her long history with El Salvador.

Margot was born to Eugen and Irma Liebes in San Salvador. Her older sister was Chita Liebes de Lima. Eugen was one of the founders of the Jewish community and came to Salvador from Breslau. He met Irma Reich de Liebes in Breslau and later brought her to Salvador to live. (note: Irma was my grandfather Ernest Reich's eldest sister.) Eugen was responsible for the emigration of many young German-Jewish men including but not limited to: Heinz "Quique" Guttfreund and Ernest Reich. Casa Goldtree-Liebes provided these young men with a job and Eugen would look after them. It is safe to say that Eugen Liebes is responsible for saving the lives of at least twenty individuals from Hitler's wrath. Sometimes alone and sometimes with the help of associates, Eugen Liebes paid for visas to send family and friends to El Salvador, Guatemala, the States, Ecuador, and more. SOME of those he helped during this difficult time were/are:

1. Kaete Reich (Breslau-El Salvador)
2. Rosa Reich (Breslau-El Salvador)
3. Tina Buttman and husband (Breslau-El Salvador)
4. Wilma Bloch de Reich (Amsterdam-El Salvador...and my dear grandmother)
5. Georg Milner (Breslau-New York City)
6. Herta Milner (Breslau-New York City)
7. Harry Milner (Breslau-New York City)
8. Heinz "Quique" Guttfreund (Germany-El Salvador)


The list goes on and on but I think you get the picture. This man was an incredible man and many are eternally indebted to him for his kindness and compassion. Margot explained that he had friends in high places and never ceased to nurture and keep those important relationships.

Despite his commitment to El Salvador, Margot remembers her father's deep fear for the future of his daughters. "You should marry a Jewish man," he would say. In order to make sure his daughters learned as much as possible about the world, the family moved constantly. Despite the confusing nature of this part of her life history, Margot has the dates and details down pat. Berlin-Hamburg-Paris--London-Vienna-San Francisco (not in that order). Unbelievable. In the end, both daughters married and raised their own families in El Salvador...with Eugen and Irma living only a few blocks away.

More tomorrow....