Fritz Ottenheimer (z”l)

March 18, 1925 – July 20, 2017

Birthplace: Konstanz, Germany
Religious Identity: Jewish

“When my father was arrested by the secret police and taken away, we had no idea where they were taking him or what they would do to him. Or whether we’d ever see him again.”

Fritz Ottenheimer grew up as a young boy in Konstanz, Germany — a large town with a population of around 40,000. He was eight years old when World War II broke out. While Fritz and his family were forced to endure increasing anti-Jewish propaganda, discrimination and persecution, his parents still took part in righteous activities during the war by helping to rescue other Jews.

In November of 1938, Fritz witnessed his father’s arrest, on what is now known as Kristallnacht, or the “night of broken glass” when around 30,000 innocent Jewish men were taken to concentration camps. His father spent a short time in Dachau concentration camp, but was released and able to return home. In 1939, when Fritz was 14-years-old, he and his family immigrated to the United States.

After graduating from high school in New York in 1944, Fritz volunteered to become part of the U.S. Army. He was deployed to Germany in 1945, and served in units that aided in the “de-Nazification” process of his home country. When the war ended, Fritz returned to the U.S., got a degree in Industrial Engineering, and eventually settled in Pittsburgh, PA. He and his wife, Goldie, had two children and four grandchildren, who Fritz described as “wonderful people”. Fritz enjoyed giving presentations to school groups about his experiences and helping to educate young people about the lessons of the Holocaust.

Fritz passed away on July 20, 2017.

-Biography partially adapted “In Celebration of Life: The Living Legacy Project” (2016)

More about Fritz

Fritz’s Obituary

Patriotic Duty | The Social Voice Project

Holocaust generational speaker shares family’s story | The Purbalite

Ottenheimer family papers (not digitized) | United States Holocaust Memorial Museum