Max Bayer

Max Bayer was born on 21 September 1906 in Aschbach in Bavaria. From 1929, he taught at the Israelite Institute for the Deaf and Dumb (ITA) in Berlin-Wei?ensee. This institution for the deaf and mute had existed in Berlin since 1873, where he met his future wife Gisela Schrage (born on 6 November 1906 in Brody, Galicia), who also taught deaf and mute children^.1

From 1932 to 1934, Max Bayer studied at the Faculty of Philosophy at Friedrich Wilhelm University^.2 Max Bayer was probably unable to complete his studies, as he answered "no" to the question about studying in the census of May 1939^.3

Even during his studies, he continued to work at the Israelite Deaf and Dumb Centre^.4 Under National Socialism, the circumstances for people with disabilities, including the ITA, continued to deteriorate. Financial support from the state was reduced and eventually cancelled altogether^.5

In the summer of 1939, Felix Reich, the director of the Israelite Deaf and Dumb Centre, born in 1885, was able to bring ten kindergarten children from the ITA from Berlin to London. He obtained permission from the British Ministry of Education to bring the remaining pupils, teachers and employees of the ITA to Great Britain, which would have allowed both Max and Gisela Bayer to emigrate. However, due to the start of the war in September 1939, these plans could no longer be realised^.6

According to the census of 17 May 1939, Max Bayer and his wife Gisela Bayer lived at Hufelandstra?e 41 in the Prenzlauer Berg district. Their parents-in-law Sara (born Meiseles on 13 August 1876) and Salomon Schrage (born on 23 December 1876 in Brody) lived with them. There are no entries for either of them in the Federal Archives' Memorial Book, so they either survived the war or died beforehand. Paula Gongola (born Schrage on 11 September 1908) and her husband Heinz Gongola (born on 20 October 1910) also lived with them^.7 The Gongola couple were deported to Riga on 26 October 1942 and murdered there on 29 October 1942^.8

In 1940, Max Bayer was one of only three teachers who looked after the 22 remaining children still living in the Israelite Deaf and Dumb Institution^.9 He probably had to work as a steward in the "Gro?e Hamburger Stra?e" collection camp from the beginning of 1941^.10

On 21 December 1942, he and his wife had a daughter, whom they named Reha. On 17 May 1943, Max Bayer, his wife and his five-month-old daughter were deported from Berlin to Auschwitz on the last major deportation train. They have been considered "missing" since that day^.11