Leo Josef Reiss, JD

Leo Josef Reiss was born in Vienna, Austria. He married Marianne Schrecker on 71 March 1917 in Vienna.

Eric Leo Reiss: "My grandfather was a lawyer in Vienna and an accomplished amateur artist. He was arrested about a week after the Anschluss and imprisoned (without formal charges being brought) for three months. At that time, he was forced to sign a document stating that he would leave the country within three months. He and his wife Marianne escaped to England in November, 1938. In November, 1939, the family emigrated to the United States.

Leo Reiss' passport, at that time, read "Wien, Deutschland". But he refused to acknowledge German citizenship and insisted on being registered as Austrian. When the U.S. later entered the war, he and Erich (also registered as Austrian), had no problems, whereas Marianne and Hans (registered as German) were required to register as "enemy aliens" and check in with the local police once a week.

Leo died in New York City in the fall of 1953 of a heart attack.

The portrait was painted in 1923 and hangs in my home in Copenhagen, Denmark

• Residence: 1940 - 15 Fort Washington Avenue, A D 22, New York, New York, USA
• Race: White
  • Reference: 1940 United States Federal Census - SmartCopy: Apr 13 2023, 16:17:10 UTC