Kupfertorstraße 12 1914

My name is Hans David Blum, and I grew up about a 10 minutes' walk from here. You have to look very closely to spot the small brass sign on the footpath in front of this building at Kupfertorstrasse 12. It says: Doctor's house since 1872. 

I'll speak about the doctors in a moment, but first let's talk about this place. 

There's nothing left of the buildings that stood here in the 17th and 18th centuries. The French, who occupied Breisach for several decades during the 17th century, built a large military hospital right here. After 1700, Breisach once again belonged to Austria. 

Until it was destroyed by French troops in 1793, there was an orphanage, penitentiary and workhouse here, and attached to it was a successful floss silk and linen factory. The plaque on the wall tells its history. The entrepreneurs were two Swiss men and Josua Uffenheimer, a Jew from Kippenheim. 

The first native Breisacher to practice medicine here was Max Wertheimer. His grandfather Abraham had come from Kippenheim as an accountant for Josua Uffenheimer.

It's surprising that Max Wertheimer, as a Jew, was allowed to study medicine in Freiburg and Heidelberg at that time. As a student, he wrote an award-winning paper on a very important topic – infection risk for mothers directly after giving birth. He bought this handsome house.

When he got older, he sold his practice and the house. 

In 1895, Breisach got another Jewish family doctor, Dr Karl Hugo Katz from Berlin. He handed over the house and the practice to his son Dr Fritz Katz. Then, in the year I was born – 1919 – Dr Hans Loewe bought the house and the practice. 

Dr Loewe also became the family doctor for the Jewish community, and he was very popular. He was harassed by the Nazis and had to prove that he didn't have any Jewish ancestors. There's still a Dr Loewe with an office here: it's the third generation practising medicine! 

Today, you can find a copy of Dr Max Wertheimer's doctoral thesis from 1888 in the Blue House.