Maria Johanna Collm

In 1938 Maria Collm née Freund was living in Joachim-Friedrich-Str. 52, Berlin-Halensee when she moved to Hamburg to find work. As it had become increasingly dangerous in Germany, she then left Hamburg accepting a guest performance in Paris. After the invasion of France in 1940, Maria was arrested and imprisoned in Gurs Detention Camp. While awaiting deportation, she was said to have been released upon the intervention of members of the Rothschild family. However, it states in her restitution file that it was her future husband Dr. Kurt Friedmann. After leaving Gurs, she hid in Pau which lies in the foothills of the Pyrénées, close to the border to Spain. A mere 48 km from Gurs Camp.

On March 31, 1941 Maria married Kurt Friedmann in Jurançon near Pau. By November 17, 1941 they had made their way via Marseille to Lisbon, Portugal where they boarded the “Serpa Pinto” which was bound for the USA. Shortly after they arrived in New York on December 26, 1941, Kurt Friedmann died. His death had occurred before June 17, 1942 when Maria signed a declaration of intention for citizenship in NYC. At the time she was living at 327 W. 84th St., Manhattan.