The suicide of Moritz Oppenheim, venerable Jewish philanthropist and benefactor of art and science, and his wife, profoundly shocked Berlin today when it became known. Consternation was caused previously by a brief announcement in the press that a “well-known couple had committed suicide as a result of inner depression”. The reports did not state the names, which became known only subsequent to the funeral.
Herr Oppenheim, who was eighty-five years old, was the proprietor of a jewelry business which had continued in Frankfurt for more than three hundred years. He was widely known for his philanthropic activities and for his generous support of scientific experimentation. He contributed heavily to finance research in botany and astronomy particularly and a small planet discovered by the Frankfurt Observatory was named “Mauritius” in his honor.
On the occasion of his eightieth birthday, the city of Frankfurt presented him with a silver tablet.
A letter written by the Oppenheims before they took their lives, declared that they could not continue living under the new circumstances in Germany.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
