Ilse Frankenthal

Ilse Hinrichsen was born in Leipzig on 29 Jan, 1904, daughter of CF Peters Music publisher Henri Hinrichsen and Martha Bendix Hinrichsen. She attended the Henriette Goldschmidt school in Leipzig and was a credentialed kindergarten teacher and an accomplished artist. She married the surgeon Dr. Ludwig Frankenthal and they had two sons. When Ludwig was forbidden from working and publishing in Germany, the family obtained visas for the Netherlands, which Ludwig's siblings had done. When Germany invaded the Netherlands, the family were sent to the Westerbork concentration camp, from 8 April, 1943 until 4 Sep, 1944. When Ludwig refused an order to sterilize 13 women, the family were then sent to Terezin and the following month (12 Oct, 1944), to Auschwitz. Ludwig and son Wolfgang were immediately gassed, but Ilse survived, not knowing their fate, and was sent to Bergen-Belsen from 3 Nov. to 15 Dec., 1944. She somehow survived yet again, finally being transported to Salzwedel women's concentration camp until liberation. The Red Cross brought her to Brunssum, Holland, where she recuperated, referring to her "tweede leven" (second life). With the support of Brunssum's mayor, Ilse gradually returned to her artistic life and was able to teach others and show her work at galleries. Her motto was "kunst naar de mensen en mensen naar de kunst"- ("Bring art to the people and bring the people to art")An art prize awarded tri-annually in Brunssum bears her name, De Ilse Frankenthal Grafiekmanifestatie.

Ilse's attitude and strength are a model for us all. Despite all she lost, she was able to dedicate this poem to her husband:

Weiterleben! Ludwig, ich lebe! Ludwig, ich schaffe das! Ludwig, es ist schoen zu leben!

Living on! Ludwig, I live! Ludwig, I manage it! Ludwig, living is beautiful!

Ilse was much loved in her country of exile, and died on 30 July, 1987.

For more on Ilse's life, see http://www.ilsefrankenthalstichting.com/ and http://www.jewishquarterly.org/issuearchive/article70c9.html?articl...