The new home - Jewish life in Munich between the World Wars

Mordechai/Markus Blechner comes to Munich in 1910. His wife, Mina follows him in 1914 with their sons Jakob and Oskar, who were born in Galicia. Salo and Leon are born in Munich. The family live in the Isarvorstadt district of Munich, a popular quarter for Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.

Despite increased immigration since the end of the 19th century, by 1910 Jews represent just 1.9% of Munich's population. Of these 11,083 people approximately 20% originated from Eastern Europe. Within the Munich Jewish community, they represent an independent and long disadvantaged group. After the First World War and as a result of the substantial increase in anti-Semitism the gulf is slowly narrowed between the assimilated liberal majority of the community and the immigrant orthodox minority. The Eastern European Jews open their own synagogue in Reichenbachstraße in 1931, which the Blechners join.

Like many Jews in the Isarvorstadt, Mordechai earns his living as a businessman. He builds up a successful trade in shoe accessories. His two sons, Jakob and Oskar work with him in the business. Jakob is a sales agent for his father and drives to the Traunstein area and as far as Neuötting in Upper Bavaria.