Lübbecke

The Ruben Family

In 1846, Nathan Ruben founded a clothing company in Lübbecke. The small business quickly grew into a large enterprise. In 1880, the Ruben family’s villa and the adjacent factory building were constructed. By the end of the 19th century, some 300 seamstresses in Lübbecke alone were working from home for the company. They transported their finished goods to Lübbecke on handcarts. Fifty female workers and 35 employees worked in the factory itself as clerks or served as sales representatives, warehouse workers, or cutters. This made the Ruben company the largest Jewish firm in Lübbecke, if not the largest company in Lübbecke overall. By 1906, there were a total of six factories.

The main factory in Lübbecke, with branches in Minden, Bünde, and Herford, produced workwear and all kinds of work uniforms. In Hamburg (1888), men’s clothing, loden garments, and shirts were manufactured. The Hamburg oilskin factory (1904) produced rubber coats, waterproof oilskins, and leather clothing. In Berlin (1901), boys’ suits were sewn. The facility in Mönchengladbach (1907) produced tropical suits and all kinds of ready-to-wear garments for export. The specialized factory in Manchester (1907) also produced tropical suits and ready-to-wear garments for export, as well as all kinds of shirts.

During Kristallnacht in 1939, the Ruben villa was looted and vandalized. This was followed by the forced sale and “Aryanization” of the Ruben estate. The Ruben family was able to emigrate to England.

Lübbecke

The Ruben Family

Lübbecke

The Ruben Family

A Memoir by Max Lazarus, read by Uwe Feldmann

Moritz Lazarus worked at Ruben for over 40 years. His brother, Max Lazarus, recalls:

The Ruben Family

Water Basins and Memorials to the Dead

The water basin is no longer in use and is empty. What do you think it was used for? Have you noticed that small stones are often placed on the gravestones? Do you know of a special day of the year when people go to the cemetery to remember the dead?

According to Jewish tradition, a dead person is considered impure. Anyone who is in a designated area—such as a cemetery—and comes into contact with the dead becomes impure and must purify themselves. It is therefore customary to wash one’s hands upon leaving the cemetery. Water was drawn from this basin to tend the graves.

When Jews visit the graves of their loved ones at the cemetery, they often place a small stone on the headstone as a sign of remembrance. Perhaps you'd like to place a stone there, too? On the anniversary of a person's death, relatives visit the grave, light a candle, and recite the Kaddish. It is a prayer with which Jews praise God. It is recited during a religious service or at the grave.