On 16 July 2020 Laura Wertheimer had four stumbling stones laid for her father, her grandparents and her great grandfather. Erich Wertheimer, his wife Sophie and their son Franz fled to the USA in 1938. Sophie’s father, Fritz Prager, followed them in 1939.

Fritz Prager and his twin brother Max were born on 8 June 1876 in Berlin. His parents were the textile dealer Heinrich Prager und Sophie (née Mandelbaum). After leaving school Fritz started work in his father’s business in Berlin. In 1900 he opened a branch at Josephsplatz 8 in Nuremberg. The ladies’ fashion shop was located on the ground floor and his flat on the floor above.

In June 1902 he married Cilli Lissberger in Creglingen near Bad Mergentheim. Cilli, born in Creglingen on 15 August 1868, gave birth to daughter Sophie on 26 April 1902 in Nuremberg. During the First World War Fritz Prager served in the Bavarian army. Afterwards, he continued with his business and also purchased the building. Fritz was very religious and was active in the Jewish religious community in Nuremberg, for instance as treasurer.

In May 1925 Sophie married the wholesaler Erich Wertheimer. Grandson Franz was born on 26 September 1927. Fritz’s wife Cilli died from cancer on 9 November 1930.

His success as a businessman came to an end in National Socialist Germany. Fritz had to give up his business in September 1935 and was eventually forced to sell the house at a dictated price to members of the Nazi Party. In May 1936 Fritz made a short journey to the USA, to persuade a distant relative to help him and his daughter’s family emigrate. Sophie and her family emigrated to New York in November 1938, Fritz in May 1939.

Following the deduction of capital levies and forced taxes imposed by the German Reich on Jewish emigrants, nothing was left of Fritz’s estate. He was 63 years old and spoke no English. Until his death in March 1954 Fritz lived with his daughter and earned money as a door-to-door salesman.

His twin brother Max lived in Frankfurt am Main. He committed suicide on 12 January 1942.