Marktplatz 1937

My name is Elaine Wolff and I live in New York. My family were refugees who came from Breisach. Since my father was Alsatian, I spent many summers in France. It wasn't a long trip to Breisach.

We're standing on the market square, which used to be called Werd Square, and we're looking directly at the cathedral up on the hill. Before the destruction during the war, this square was crowded with buildings. One of them was Jacob Rosenberg's tobacco and print shop. We know so little about him. He died in 1929. His widow and only daughter Natalie were able to flee to New York during the Nazi era. Natalie was a guest in our family. In the photo, the Rosenberg house is hidden by the tree. 

Even back then, the fountain was a meeting place. It was built in 1902 in honour of Grand Duke Frederick I, who loved to visit Breisach. Later, the "Europe Fountain" was built on this square. Why the name? After the war, Breisach emphasised the importance of Europe and calls itself until today "European City Breisach".