Photo-Helios (Helios Photography) Archives

POST 195: RATIBOR’S NATIVE SON CLAUS OGERMAN, RENOWNED GERMAN CONDUCTOR, COMPOSER, MUSICAL ARRANGER

Note: This post again proves, as an unknown writer much wiser than me once said, that there’s a short story to be found on every street corner. When the short story happens to be about my father’s hometown of Ratibor and involves one of its famous native sons, Claus Ogerman, who came to America and became one of the most prolific 20th century musical arrangers working with a string of singers who are household names, the tale is even more tantalizing. But it’s topped off by a curious discovery I made comparing two photographs sent to me by separate individuals that serendipitously overlap and relate to Claus.

POST 138: INTRIGUING DISCOVERIES ABOUT RATIBOR’S HELIOS PHOTO STUDIO

POST 190: FURTHER CONNECTIONS WITH RATIBOR’S “PHOTO-HELIOS” STUDIO, A MANUFACTURER OF CABINET CARDS

A reader recently sent me a photograph taken on the Rynek, the Market Square, in Ratibor (today: Racibórz, Poland), my father’s hometown, probably in the early to mid-1940s. The photo was sent to me by “Monika,” a lady I introduced to readers in Post 190. Monika stumbled upon Post 138 while researching photo studios that once existed in Ratibor. Her interest stems from the fact that for a brief period between 1942 and 1944 her father, Leopold “Leo” Simon (Figures 1a-b), lived in Ratibor and apprenticed in a photo shop. From Post 138, she discovered the studio where Leo briefly worked was “Photo-Helios,” which has been the subject of several posts.

Figure 1a. Monika’s father, Leopold “Leo” Simon, who apprenticed in Ratibor’s “Photo-Helios” between 1942 and 1944

Figure 1b. Backside of photo of Leopold “Leo” Simon showing it was taken on the 15th of November 1944 in Ratibor

Post 138 included photos taken inside “Photo-Helios” of staff that once worked there that were sent to me by a lady named Jessica Nastos, whose great-grandmother also once worked there. As I also discussed in Post 138, the original proprietors of Photo-Helios were Hans and Emma Ogermann. The group photos included staff as well as Emma Ogermann and someone I assumed was her husband, Hans. To her surprise and delight, Monika realized it was her father Leo and informed me I’d misidentified him. (Figures 2a-b)

Figure 2a. Group photo taken inside of “Photo-Helios” of staffers working there

Figure 2b. Closeup of Leopold “Leo” Simon from group photo whom I’m misidentified as Hans Ogermann

A brief digression. Following publication of Post 72 dealing with cabinet cards from Ratibor and Berlin, Jakub “Kuba” Stankiewicz, the Director of Jazz Studies at the prestigious Karol Lipiński University of Music in Wrocław, contacted me. A gentleman I now consider a friend whom I met in August in Racibórz (Figure 3), Kuba explained that Ratibor’s famous native son, Claus Ogerman (Figure 4), born Klaus Ogermann, was the son of Hans and Emma Ogermann, owners of Photo-Helios. I refer readers to Post 138 for more background.

Figure 3. Kuba Stankiewicz and me in August 2025 in Racibórz

Figure 4. Claus Ogerman (1930-2016) (photo credit: by httpswww.imdb.comnamenm0644659, Fair use, httpsen.wikipedia.orgwindex.phpcurid=58608757)

Continuing. Monika is a professional photographer, as was her father. Being the curator of some of her father’s surviving pictures, I was curious whether any might have been taken during the short period Leo Simon lived in Ratibor between 1942 and 1944. She could only find one, but it is a remarkable photo as I will explain.

The photograph (Figure 5) is hauntingly alluring made so by the fact the picture was taken at night, and the surface of the image is “crazed,” that is, it has a network of fine cracks and fissures, like those in glazed pottery, old paint, or concrete. These were likely caused by drying or improper storage. Regardless, the structural integrity of the photo has not been compromised, and the architectural elements recognizable.

Figure 5. Photo of Ratibor’s Market Square, likely taken by Monika’s father Leopold “Leo” Simon, in the early to mid-1940s

The picture shows Ratibor’s Rynek during the Second World War before most of the buildings surrounding the extant market square were destroyed by the invading Red Army in 1945. The photo looks towards the south. The Christmas tree proves the picture was taken during the holiday season. Two recognizable architectural features appear that still exist today. These include the Virgin Mary Column (Kolumna Matki Boskiej w Raciborzu) to the right of the Christmas tree, and the so-called Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Parafia Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi) in the background.

The Virgin Mary Column (Figure 6) was built between 1725 and 1727 by a renowned Baroque sculptor Johann Melchior Österreich as a votive offering to thank St. Mary for saving the town from a cholera epidemic. The column incorporates images of angels and figures of St. Florian (patron saint of fire), St. Sebastian (patron saint of epidemics), and St. Marcel (patron saint of Racibórz). According to prophecy, Racibórz will be flooded should anyone dig up the column’s plinth.

Figure 6. The Virgin Mary Column in Racibórz as it looks today

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Figure 7) is one of the oldest Upper Silesian parish churches and the only one that preserves features of early Silesian Gothic architecture. It is Racibórz’s oldest and most significant church with a history dating back to 1205. The Racibórz parish was probably founded in the mid-thirteenth century during the foundation of the town, which took place around 1240.

Figure 7. The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Racibórz as it looks today

Let me switch gears and discuss a separate photograph sent to me by Michał Fita, the former Vice-Mayor of Racibórz. Michał is a collector of Claus Ogerman discography. My wife Ann Finan and I met him at the same time we met Kuba Stankiewicz in Racibórz in August. (Figure 8) This is when I donated memorabilia from the former Bruck family establishment, the Bruck’s “Prinz von Preußen” Hotel, to the local museum, the Muzeum w Raciborzu.

Figure 8. Group photo from left to right of Michał Fita, me, Kuba Stankiewicz, and my wife Ann Finan in Racibórz in August 2025

Adjacent the restaurant on market square where my wife and I met Kuba and Michał for lunch, the city of Racibórz has erected an interpretive sign incorporating a photo looking towards the nearby corner where Claus Ogerman’s childhood home once stood. (Figure 9) Recently, Michał sent me a high-quality copy of this photo with an arrow pointing towards the apartment building where Claus grew up. (Figure 10) As readers can see, the house was located on the Rynek in front the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Figure 9. Interpretive panel on Raciborz’s Market Square (Rynek) showing the no-longer existing apartment building where Claus Ogerman grew up

Figure 10. High-quality closeup photo sent to me by Michał Fita showing the same apartment building where Claus Ogerman grew up

Once I realized the photo sent by Monika was also taken on the Rynek (Figures 11-12), I compared it to the one sent by Michał and serendipitously noticed there is overlap between them. The photo sent by Michał does not show the Virgin Mary Column meaning it was shot closer to the apartment building where Claus grew up; the column is centrally located in the square. However, both photos include the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and appear to have been taken looking roughly towards the south.

Figure 11. 1927-28 Ratibor map with red arrow pointing towards the Rynek, Market Square, referred to as the “Ring”

Figure 12. Present-day map of Racibórz looking towards the north showing the Rynek and the outline of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In Monika’s photo, readers can clearly see the complete sign for the business establishment “Kaufhaus Silbermann,” seemingly owned by “D. Silbermann.” Barely visible to the right of this establishment is one named “Gebruder Freund.” In Michał’s photo, only the last five letters of Kaufmann Silbermann’s sign are visible, “rmann,” though the complete sign for “Gebrüder Freund” is legible.

To the right of the Christmas tree in Monika’s picture, “Feinkost” can clearly be read below most of the Paul Ackermann store sign. Examining Michał’s photo, these same signs can be seen.

In Monika’s picture, the building that stands in the hazy glow between the Christmas tree and the Virgin Mary Column is the apartment building where Claus grew up. Few details can be made out.

The cars visible in Michał’s photo appear to date from the late 1920s-early 1930s, so the photo was likely taken at least 10 years before Monika’s image.

Curiously enough, Jan Krajczok, another Polish friend from Rybnik, a town 16 miles to the east of Racibórz, sent me yet another historic photo showing the Rynek. (Figure 13) As readers can see, the photo is an aerial shot, in this instance looking roughly towards the north. It is an equally compelling image to the ones sent by Monika and Michał. I’ve pointed out Claus’ childhood home. In this picture, readers can clearly make out the Virgin Mary Column and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Oderstrasse, the street where the Bruck’s Hotel once stood, can also be seen caddy corner from the Ogerman home on the Rynek (i.e., the Ogerman home was on the south corner of the market square and Oderstrasse (see Figure 13) entered the square from the north). While difficult to point out to readers, I believe I can make out the roof of the former Bruck’s Hotel.

Figure 13. Historic aerial photo of Ratibor looking towards the north showing the Virgin Mary Column in the center of the Market Square and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the center-right of the picture. Red arrow in the foreground points to apartment building where Claus Ogermann grew up and the red arrow in the background points to start of Oderstrasse

Admittedly, this post will be of limited interest to readers. Nonetheless, I find myself drawn to finding connections between random occurrences such as two historic photos of Ratibor suddenly materializing in my inbox that overlap and happen to show the childhood home of one of the city’s famous native sons.

In the spirit of the holidays and given the who’s who of famous singers for whom Claus did musical arrangements and compositions, I thought I would include YouTube links to a few of his productions.

Frank Sinatra’s major collaboration with Claus Ogerman was on the iconic 1967 bossa nova album, “Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim,” where Ogerman served as the orchestrator and conductor. The album was a commercial success and was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys.

The Girl from Ipanema

Change Partners

Barbra Streisand and Claus collaborated on her acclaimed 1976 album, “Classical Barbra.” Ogerman arranged the orchestral scores, conducted the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, and composed the song “I Loved You,” featuring lyrics from a Pushkin poem.

After moving to the United States in 1959, beyond working with Sinatra and Streisand, he also worked with:

Bill Evans

Wes Montgomery

Kai Winding

Ogerman also arranged many pop hits, including Solomon Burke’s “Cry To Me” and Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party,” “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” “She’s a Fool,” and “Maybe I Know.” Ogerman charted under his own name in 1965, including the album “Watusi Trumpets.” Ogerman also arranged and conducted Diana Krall’s 2001 album “The Look of Love.” (Figure 14)

Figure 14. Diana Krall in the middle between Michał Fita and Kuba Stankiewicz in Zabrze, Poland in October 2025

POST 190: FURTHER CONNECTIONS WITH RATIBOR’S “PHOTO-HELIOS” STUDIO, A MANUFACTURER OF CABINET CARDS

Note: In this post, I present newly acquired information about Ratibor’s former “Photo-Helios” studio, a one-time producer of cabinet cards. The proprietors were Hans and Emma Ogermann, the parents of Claus Ogerman (one “n”), a very famous musical arranger, conductor, and composer who made his name in America. Beyond being connected to Claus, I’ve been contacted by a few descendants of people who worked in the studio in the 1930s-1940s, one of whom shared photos taken inside. As readers will discover, these photos have allowed me to make connections to a lady once buried in Ratibor’s Jewish cemetery. There are multiple links I discuss.

POST 13, POSTSCRIPT: THE FORMER JEWISH CEMETERY IN RATIBOR (RACIBÓRZ)

POST 72: FAMILY CABINET CARDS FROM RATIBOR & BERLIN PHOTO STUDIOS

POST 138: INTRIGUING DISCOVERIES ABOUT RATIBOR’S HELIOS PHOTO STUDIO

POST 139 (GUEShttps://wp.me/p8AZ95-43UT POST): THE STORY OF A JEWISH WOMAN BURIED IN RACIBÓRZ’S CATHOLIC CEMETERY

Cabinet cards were a popular 19^th century photographic medium featuring a photographic print mounted on a sturdy cardstock, typically measuring 4.25 x 6.5 inches. They were larger than their predecessor, the carte-de-visite, and were named “cabinet” cards because they were meant to be displayed on shelves or in cabinets. Introduced in 1863, they were widely used for studio portraits and other subjects until the early 20th century, when smaller more portable cameras became popular.

One of the producers of these cabinet cards in Ratibor (today: Racibórz, Poland), my father’s birthplace, was “Photo-Helios.” In December 2018, an English lady named Ms. Gisela Szpytko asked me about this studio explaining that her mother had worked there during the 1930s. Unfamiliar with this workshop, I turned to my now-deceased dear friend from Racibórz, retired lawyer and Silesian historian Pawel Newerla, for information. He sent me a postcard of Lange Straße (German name for “Long Street”) the street on which the studio was located (Figure 1a), known today as Ulica Dluga (Polish also for “Long Street”), with a fuzzy image of the “Fotografie Helios” store sign hanging in the distance. (Figure 1b) Pawel also sent me an advertisement for “Photo-Helios” from a 1936 Ratibor Address book (Figure 2), along with a page from a 1923 Ratibor Address Book listing all the town’s photo studios at the time. (Figures 3a-b) The latter identified the proprietor of Photo-Helios as Hans Ogermann, spelled with two “n’s.” More on this below.

Figure 1a. Postcard of Ratibor’s “Lange Straße” along which “Photo-Helios” was located at the far end of the street

Figure 1b. Pixilated closeup of “Fotografie Helios” store sign

Figure 2. Page from the 1936 Ratibor Address Book with the names of existing photo studios & photographers, listing “Photo-Helios” and its owner Hans Ogermann

Figure 3a. Cover of 1923 Ratibor Address Book listing existing photographic studios

Figure 3b. 1923 list of existing Ratibor photo studios

Personally owning a few cabinet cards produced in Ratibor (Figures 4a-b), though none by Photo-Helios, Ms. Szyptko’s query provided the inspiration for Post 72. Following its publication in January 2020, I expected this would be the end of the story. While hardly the most widely read of my posts, Post 72 has generated more comments than any other. Post 138 and Guest Post 139 by Magda Wawoczny, a PhD. student from Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland hailing from Racibórz, emanated from queries and related findings. And recent questions add to the intrigue surrounding Photo-Helios with the current post being the result.

Figure 4a. Front side of the cabinet card from “Oskar Krispien” photo studio in Ratibor showing my aunt Suzanne, my father Otto, and my uncle Fedor as children

Figure 4b. Back side of the cabinet card from the “Oskar Krispien” photo studio in Ratibor

Following publication of Post 72, in January 2021, I was contacted by Jakub “Kuba” Stankiewicz, the Director of Jazz Studies at the Academy of Music in Wrocław, Poland. Being approached by an academician, while not unprecedented, was curious. Kuba asked whether I knew Photo-Helios had been owned by Claus Ogerman’s parents? By then, I realized Hans Ogermann had been the proprietor but knew nothing about his son Claus Ogerman (1930-2016). (Figure 5) (Parenthetically, Claus’ surname has only one “n.”) To say I felt unread would be an understatement, particularly when Kuba told me that Claus was well-known and made his name in America. Readers can find him in Wikipedia but suffice it to say that Claus was an exceptionally gifted German arranger, conductor, and composer. He is best known for his work with Billie Holiday, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Bill Evans, Michael Brecker, Barbra Streisand, Leslie Gore, Diana Krall, and many other “A-listers.”

Figure 5. Claus Ogerman (1930-2016) (photo credit: by httpswww.imdb.comnamenm0644659, Fair use, httpsen.wikipedia.orgwindex.phpcurid=58608757)

I will return later to my ongoing association with Kuba Stankiewicz, whom my wife and I met for the first time during our recent trip to Poland.

The next connection to Photo-Helios came in May 2023 when a German lady named Ms. Jessica Nastos contacted me. Astonishingly, Jessica’s great-grandmother had also worked in the workshop during the 1930s-1940s. Jessica graciously sent me a series of photos including group pictures taken inside the studio from this period, with some of the subjects identified by name; Jessica also sent an image of a tattered envelope with the name and address of the business embossed on it. (Figure 6)

Figure 6. Business envelope from “Photo helios” formerly located along Ratibor’s “Lange Straße” (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

As I wrote in Post 138, Jessica informed me that her great-grandmother was a lady named Elzbieta “Lilly” Slawik, née Grzonka (1926-2016). When she told me this I was flabbergasted since I’d previously come across her great-grandmother’s name in a different context. Let me explain. Shortly before Jessica Nastos contacted me, Ms. Magda Wawoczny, the student from Jagiellonian University and the guest author of Post 139, had told me of her research on the former Jewish cemetery in Ratibor. In particular, she told me of her interest in a headstone belonging to a Minna Linzer, née Guttmann.

To briefly remind readers, in Post 13 and Post 13, Postscript, I explained how the cemetery had been destroyed in 1973 by the Communist authorities seeking to erase all evidence of prior German presence in the area. Before it was destroyed, at the request of the city authorities, photo documentation of all the burials and headstones was made by a Mr. Kazimierz Świtliński. (Figure 7) The documentation is on file at the Muzeum w Raciborzu, including a photo of Minna Linzer, née Guttmann’s headstone. (Figure 8)

Figure 7. Mr. Kazimierz Świtliński, the Polish gentleman who at the request of city authorities documented all the tombs and burials in Ratibor’s Jewish cemetery prior to its liquidation in 1973

Figure 8. Photo of Minna Linzer, nee Guttmann’s headstone from Ratibor’s former Jewish cemetery, taken by Mr. Kazimierz Świtliński

As Magda wrote in Post 139 about the headstone in Ratibor’s Jewish cemetery:

“During my archival investigations, my attention was drawn to an application by a woman from Racibórz who requested permission from the city authorities to exhume the body of her grandmother Minna Linzer from Ratibor’s former Jewish cemetery and transfer it together with the tombstone to the Catholic cemetery in the Ostróg district on Rudzka street. The woman emphasized that in the face of the anticipated liquidation of the cemetery, she felt an obligation to save the grave of her grandmother that she had taken care of and maintained for many years.”

The woman making the request was none other than Elizabeth (Elzbieta) “Lilly” Slawik, née Grzonka, Minna Linzer’s granddaughter.

It was then I realized that my seemingly unrelated research into Photo-Helios overlapped with Magda’s investigation into one headstone from the former Jewish cemetery. I was thrilled when I noticed that among Jessica Nastos’ pictures was one of Elzbieta as an infant with her unmarried parents, the Jewish man Hans (Jan) Linzer and the Catholic woman Pauline Grzonka (Figure 9); there were also several other photos taken inside Photo-Helios that included Elzbieta. (Figures 10-13)

Figure 9. Elzbieta Grzonka as an infant in 1926 in Breslau (today: Wrocław, Poland) with her parents, Hans (Jan) Linzer and Pauline Grzonka (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Figure 10. Elzbieta Grzonka with her mother Pauline Grzonka (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Figure 11. Elzbieta Grzonka working in the lab at Photo-Helios (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Figure 12. Group photo of young ladies at Photo-Helios with the older seated lady on left believed to be Emma Ogermann; Elzbieta is standing in the middle (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Figure 13. Another group photo of staffers at Photo-Helios; Elzbieta is in the middle of the seated ladies below the only man in the group (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Two points of clarification.

Firstly, seeking to shield Elzbieta from antisemitism and the Nazis subsequent prohibition of marriages between Jews and non-Jews, Elzbieta’s parents never married though they symbolically exchanged rings as keepsakes. Pauline (1895-1971) and Elzbieta (1926-2016) survived the Holocaust, while Hans (Jan) Linzer (1901-1945) was murdered in Auschwitz, along with his father and two of his three siblings.

Secondly, as Magda pointed out in Post 139, Elzbieta “Lilly” Grzonka’s application to Racibórz city authorities asking to exhume her grandmother’s grave was accompanied by a card with the inscription that read “eternal memory of those lost in the Auschwitz camp: Hermann Linzer, Jan Linzer, Małgorzata and Henryk Schiftan, Lota and Maks Tichauer.” (Figure 14) As readers can see on Minna Linzer’s headstone these names are inscribed on it. (Figure 15) They correspond to Minna’s husband Hermann, three of their four children, and two of their sons-in-law, all of whom were murdered in Auschwitz.

Figure 14. The card with family names that accompanied Elzbieta Grzonka’s application to Racibórz city authorities requesting permission to exhume her grandmother’s remains from the former Jewish cemetery

Figure 15. Minna Linzer’s headstone as it looks today with the names of her family who were murdered in the Holocaust

In May 2025, Jessica Nastos uncovered a video of an interview she conducted with her great-grandmother Elzbieta “Lilly” Grzonka (1926-2016) in May 2013 for a high school project entitled “Fear During the Nazi Regime.” She graciously shared a copy of the digitally remastered video with English subtitles, which unfortunately I’m unable to share with readers. Suffice it to say, it is very moving.

Two recent emails attest to the continued interest in Photo-Helios and the people associated with it. Both queries require follow-up.

In mid-October 2025 I was contacted by a lady of Slovakian origin named Monika. She was recently searching for an old photo school in Ratibor when she stumbled on my blog Post 138. The reason for her interest is that her father Leopold “Leo” Simon (Figures 16a-b), who was also a photographer, lived in Ratibor from 1942 until 1944, and astonishingly apprenticed at Photo-Helios during that time! She was stunned when she recognized her father in one of the group pictures sent to me by Jessica Nastos, namely Figure 10 in Post 139 (Figure 17), a person I misidentified as Hans Ogermann, the owner of Photo Helios.

Figure 16a. Monika’s father, Leopold “Leo” Simon, in 1946 who apprenticed at Photo-Helios between 1942 and 1944 (front)

Figure 16b. Monika’s father, Leopold “Leo” Simon, in 1946 who apprenticed at Photo-Helios between 1942 and 1944 (back)

Figure 17. Leopold “Leo” Simon in a group photo taken at Photo-Helios when he apprenticed there; in Post 139, Figure 10, I mistakenly identified him as Hans Ogermann

I estimate Monika’s father Leo was born around 1928 and would have been between 14 and 16 years old when he worked at Photo-Helios.

Another recent contact is related to the Linzer family, a contact that has not yet fully panned out. As I mentioned above, Hans (Jan) Linzer had three siblings. (Figure 18) The youngest was Leo born in 1908, the only one of Hermann and Minna Linzer’s four children to survive the Shoah. In mid-September, a German lady named Ms. Stephanie Scheibl reached out to me. She mentioned a book and some old photographs she inherited from her grandmother that were in turn bequeathed to her by her father Leo Linzer!!! He may have inherited them from his parents Hermann and Minna Linzer!! Stephanie would of course be Leo’s great-granddaughter. There might be some rare images among Stephanie’s photos.

Figure 18. Hermann Linzer and Minna Linzer, nee Guttmann’s four children, from left to right, Hans (Jan), Leo, Małgorzata, and Lota; only Leo survived the Holocaust (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Let me say a few more words about Kuba Stankiewicz. Since first being introduced to Kuba in 2021, we’ve stayed in touch. Kuba’s hometown, Wrocław, Breslau as it was known during the German era, is a city where my Bruck family had longstanding ties. From time to time, I’ve asked Kuba whether German-era buildings connected to my family still exist, and Kuba has graciously investigated and occasionally even sent pictures. Periodically, I’ve referred readers or family members visiting Wrocław to Kuba or put him in touch with one of my local Wrocław contacts. We had always hoped to meet face-to-face, so prior to my recent visit to Poland, I proposed that we get together. Unfortunately, meeting in Wrocław was not possible since he was teaching a student workshop that week out-of-town in a place called Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

Since our next stop after Wrocław was Racibórz, which is only about 30km north-northwest of Jastrzębie-Zdrój. Kuba suggested meeting in Racibórz on the 25^th of August which worked perfectly. Prior to going for lunch, we took a stroll along Ulica Dluga, formerly Lange Straße where the Helios-Photo had once stood. Coincidentally, a photo shop sits in almost the same spot as the earlier studio though the current store bears no relationship to the earlier workshop. At lunch Kuba introduced my wife Ann and me to Michał Fita, Racibórz’s former Vice-Mayor, who happens to be a collector of Claus Ogerman-arranged discography. (Figure 19) Michał brought several of his most recent acquisitions to show us.

Figure 19. Group photo from left to right of Michał Fita, me, Kuba Stankiewicz, and my wife Ann Finan in Racibórz on the 25th of August 2025

During lunch Michał and Kuba discussed an upcoming conference they had planned in Racibórz for Claus Ogerman to introduce the current generation to the city’s long-lost son. It turns out that steps away from where we ate lunch stands an anodized aluminum interpretive panel showing the no-longer standing house where Claus Ogerman was born and grew up which was located on Racibórz’s Rynek or Market Square. (Figure 20)

Figure 20. Interpretive panel on Raciborz’s Market Square (Rynek) showing the no-longer existing house where Claus Ogerman grew up

The conference on Claus Ogerman took place in Raciborz on the 17^th of October. I attach a YouTube interview Michał gave during the conference which is interpreted into English.

Michał Fita organized another conference on Claus Ogerman’s Racibórz roots

Coincidentally, Diana Krall, whose music Claus Ogerman arranged, performed on the eve of the conference in the nearby Polish town of Zabrze (German: Hindenburg). Michal and Kuba attended the concert, met Diana backstage, and had their picture taken with her. (Figure 21) She was thrilled to learn that a conference was planned for Claus because with age she realizes what a genius he was.

Figure 21. Diana Krall in the middle between Michał Fita and Kuba Stankiewicz (other people not identified) in Zabrze, Poland on 16th October 2025

Each new contact about Photo-Helios adds to the intrigue. What makes the story even more compelling is how intertwined it is with the story of Minna Linzer, the Jewish lady reburied in Raciborz’s Catholic cemetery, because Minna’s granddaughter Elzbieta “Lilly” Grzonka worked in the photo studio. In the 15-minute interview Jessica Nastos did with her great-grandmother I learned it is largely because of Emma Ogermann’s intervention that Elzbieta, as a half-Jew and so-called mischling, was saved from deportation to a concentration camp.

And, then one must not forget another connection that Magda Wawoczny discussed in Post 139. Not only did Elzbieta “Lilly” Grzonka look after her own grandmother’s grave in the former Jewish cemetery, but she also looked after Monica Lewinsky’s great-grandfather Salo Lewinsky’s grave (Figure 22) after the Lewinskys left Ratibor in the 1920s for El Salvador. As it happens, the Lewinsky and Linzer families were friends and remained so following the Lewinskys departure.

Figure 22. Photo of Salo Lewinsky’s headstone from Ratibor’s former Jewish cemetery, taken by Mr. Kazimierz Świtliński

Magda’s recent contact with Dr. Bernard Lewinsky, Monica’s father, has resulted in Bernard donating an extensive collection of postcards his father George Lewinsky (1903-1989) received while living in Ratibor. (Figure 23) Magda recently delivered a presentation on these postcards and her findings. During her research at the Leo Baeck Institute in New York, Magda found a digitized songbook from the former Ratibor synagogue, music performed in conjunction with her presentation.

Figure 23. Enlarged copies of some of the postcards donated by Dr. Bernard Lewinsky to Racibórz on display in the chapel at the Piast Castle (Zamek Piastkowski)

In coming weeks, I hope to learn more about Photo-Helios since the former workshop seems to generate riveting new links! As regular readers know, these often-unexpected connections get me quite excited!

POST 139: THE STORY OF A JEWISH WOMAN BURIED IN RACIBÓRZ’S CATHOLIC CEMETERY

INTRODUCTION

The following is a guest post written by Ms. Magda Wawoczny, a student in Jewish studies at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, who hails from Racibórz, Poland. Magda first contacted me in 2021 when she was working on her bachelor’s degree and interviewed me about my family’s connection to Ratibor (today: Racibórz, Poland), when the city was part of Germany. Regular readers know that my family owned the Bruck’s “Prinz von Preußen” Hotel in Ratibor from around 1850 through the mid-1920s. Knowing I had visited Racibórz on a few occasions, Magda was also interested in my impressions of the city.

In May 2023, Magda reached out to me again in connection with her ongoing master’s degree work in Jewish studies, still centered around her hometown. Surprisingly, she asked if I could help her get in touch with Monica Lewinsky’s father, Dr. Bernard Lewinsky, who is a Radiation Oncologist in Los Angeles. Unbeknownst to me, Monica’s immediate ancestors come from Ratibor and her great-grandfather, Salo Lewinsky, was once buried in the former Jewish cemetery in Ratibor.

More recently Magda has been researching a Jewish woman by the name of Minna Linzer, née Guttmann (1873-1928) whose body had been exhumed in 1972 from the former Jewish cemetery in Ratibor prior to its destruction in 1973 and reburied in the town’s Catholic cemetery. The reason for this is explained in the current post. Magda’s interest in contacting Dr. Lewinsky stems from the fact that the Lewinsky and Linzer families were friends. Whereas the Lewinsky family emigrated to El Salvador during the 1920s and thereby survived the Holocaust, most of Minna Linzer’s family stayed in Ratibor and therefore perished.

Separately, but at around the same time as I was trying to reach Dr. Bernard Lewinsky, a German lady by the name of Ms. Jessica Nastos contacted me through my blog’s webmail. Jessica had stumbled upon Post 72 where I discussed so-called cabinet cards. One studio I’d specifically mentioned that produced these cards in Ratibor was the Helios Photo Studio, which was the subject of my previous post. Jessica told me her mother had once worked in the studio and offered to send me contemporary photos of the studio including a picture of an old envelope with the studio’s name and logo. Upon receiving the pictures, I realized they included images of the Linzer’s that Magda has been researching, including most family members from Ratibor who died in the Holocaust; astonishingly, there was even a picture of Minna Linzer, née Guttmann with her oldest son Jan (German: Hans). Minna’s husband, Hermann Linzer (1874-1944), carried this photo with him throughout World War I, and a bullet hole through the photo attests to a wound he suffered during the war. (Figure A)

Figure A. Minna Linzer, née Guttmann, with her oldest child, Jan Linzer; this photo was carried around by her husband Hermann Linzer during his deployment in World War I and bears a bullet hole attesting to a wound he received during the war (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos family archive)

When so many Jews were murdered by the Nazis in their effort to obliterate proof of their existence, it is bitter satisfaction to uncover photos of some of these people to emphasize the fact that the Nazis ultimately failed.

With the above as backdrop, I now turn the lectern over to Magda.

POST 13, POSTSCRIPT: THE FORMER JEWISH CEMETERY IN RATIBOR (RACIBÓRZ)

POST 72: FAMILY CABINET CARDS FROM RATIBOR & BERLIN PHOTO STUDIOS

POST 138: INTRIGUING DISCOVERIES ABOUT RATIBOR’S HELIOS PHOTO STUDIO

POST 139: THE STORY OF A JEWISH WOMAN BURIED IN RACIBÓRZ’S CATHOLIC CEMETERY

MAGDA WAWOCZNY

JAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY

The most important places related to the Jewish heritage of Racibórz that survived the end of World War II were the synagogue and the cemetery. While the synagogue was destroyed by a fire on the 9^th of November 1938 on Kristallnacht (Figure 1), it endured as a ruin until it was demolished, the exact date of which is still being investigated. By contrast, the cemetery survived basically intact. Unfortunately, the Jewish inhabitants of Racibórz disappeared from the city’s landscape during the war—those who managed to escape after Kristallnacht survived outside Germany, those who remained died in concentration camps. As a result, the Jewish cemetery in Racibórz was eventually razed since the community which it had served no longer existed to take care of it. Or so it seemed until now. . .

Figure 1. The Jewish Synagogue in Ratibor on fire on the 9th of November 1938 on Kristallnacht

Currently, for the purposes of my master’s thesis, I am researching the Jewish cemetery which was ultimately demolished in 1973. Based on the available sources, it is known that before the liquidation, photo documentation of all the burials and headstones was made by Mr. Kazimierz Świtliński (Figure 2) at the request of the city authorities. The documentation is on file at the Museum of Racibórz, and illustrates impressive tombstones made of marble, granite, and sandstone. In this post I will focus on one belonging to Minna Linzer, née Guttmann. (Figure 3)

Figure 2. Mr. Kazimierz Świetliński, the Polish gentleman who at the request of city authorities documented all the tombs and burials in Ratibor’s Jewish cemetery prior to its liquidation in 1973

Figure 3. The photo of Minna Linzer, née Guttmann’s headstone taken by Kazimierz Świetliński

During my archival investigations, my attention was drawn to an application by a woman from Racibórz who requested permission from the city authorities to exhume the body of her grandmother Minna Linzer from Ratibor’s former Jewish cemetery and transfer it together with the tombstone to the Catholic cemetery in the Ostróg district on Rudzka street. The woman emphasized that in the face of the anticipated liquidation of the cemetery, she felt an obligation to save the grave of her grandmother that she had taken care of and maintained for many years. The granddaughter was Elizabeth (Elzbieta) “Lilly” Slawik, née Grzonka. Her application to the city authorities was accompanied by a card with the inscription “eternal memory of those lost in the Auschwitz camp: Hermann Linzer, Jan Linzer, Małgorzata and Henryk Schiftan, Lota and Maks Tichauer.” (Figure 4)

Figure 4. The card with family names that accompanied Elizabeth (Elzbieta) “Lilly” Slawik, née Grzonka’s application to Racibórz city authorities requesting permission to exhume her grandmother’s remains from the former Jewish cemetery

Knowing only Elizabeth’s name and address, I started searching for her relatives. Fortunately, I managed to reach Elizabeth’s son, Minna’s great-grandson currently living in Germany. He explained that Elizabeth was the daughter of a Jewish man and a Catholic woman, and that the above-mentioned names are inscribed on the relocated grave in the Catholic cemetery. Elizabeth’s son mentioned that his mother took care of his great-grandmother’s tomb, and when she learned it was about to be destroyed, asked permission for the grave to be exhumed. Fascinatingly, he also mentioned that his mother had looked after the grave of Monica Lewinsky’s great-grandfather, Salo Lewinsky. (Figure 5) Despite directions from Elisabeth’s son to Minna’s grave in the Catholic cemetery, it was not easy to find.

Figure 5. The tombstone of Salo Lewinsky (1860-1930) photographed by Kazimierz Świetliński

Having been given the name of Salo Lewinsky’s still living grandson, Bernard Lewinsky, by Lilly’s son, I decided to try and contact him. For this purpose, I asked Richard Brook, author of this blog, for help. Dr. Lewinsky is an oncologist in Los Angeles, so he was quickly able to get in touch with him. Upon establishing contact, Dr. Lewinsky confirmed that his father George Lewinsky (1903-1989) had remained in contact with Elisabeth who took care of his father’s grave. Until the death of Bernard’s father, the families remained in contact. Unfortunately, the grave of Bernard’s grandfather, Salo, could not be saved when the Jewish cemetery was dismantled.

Thanks also to Richard’s help, I was able to obtain some information on the names inscribed on Minna Guttmann’s headstone and found on the card accompanying Elizabeth’s request to exhume her grave, such as their former place of residence, their occupations, and the date of the deportations to the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

A breakthrough in my research came when Richard coincidentally received an email from Elizabeth’s great-granddaughter, Jessica Nastos, about the Helios Photo Studio which was the subject of Richard’s blog Post 138; it turns out “Lilly” had worked there. Thanks to Jessica, I learned that Elizabeth was the child of a Jew, Jan Linzer (mentioned on the card accompanying Elizabeth’s application to the city authorities), and a Catholic, Paulina Grzonka, who could not be together due to the Nazi rule and the specter of war. (Figure 6) To protect themselves and Elizabeth, Paulina and Jan decided not to get married, although they symbolically exchanged rings as keepsakes, with each other’s initials engraved on them. Paulina (1895-1971) and Elizabeth (1926-2016) survived, while Jan (1901-1945) died in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Figure 6. A photo of Elizabeth (Elzbieta) “Lilly” Slawik, née Grzonka with her unmarried parents, Hans Linzer and Pauline Grzonka, taken in Breslau (today: Wrocław, Poland) in 1926, the year of Lilly’s birth (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos family archive)

Thanks to Jessica’s information, it was possible to establish the identities of the people on the card. Minna Linzer (1873-1928) was the first wife of Hermann Linzer (1874-1944). She died in 1928, and after her death Hermann got remarried to a woman named Amalie Nebenzahl (1884-1944). Both died in 1944 in Theresienstadt. Hermann and Minna had four children: Jan (German: Hans), Małgorzata (German: Margaret), Lota, and Leo. Leo, the youngest son, was the only one who survived the war. (Figure 7) Małgorzata and Lota together with their husbands also died in Theresienstadt.

Figure 7. Hermann Linzer and Minna Linzer, née Guttmann’s four children, from left to right: Jan, Leo, Małgorzata, and Lota (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos family archive)

Thanks to Jessica, based on photos from the 1990s, which show a relocated grave in the Catholic cemetery, I was able to find it. It is still there and in very good condition. (Figure 8) When it seemed that only archival documents and stories remained of the city’s Jewish heritage, it turns out that there is a preserved remnant of Jews in Racibórz, and Minna’s grave is proof of that.

Figure 8. Minna Linzer’s headstone as it looks nowadays with the names of her husband, her three children, and their spouses who were murdered in the Holocaust

POST 138: INTRIGUING DISCOVERIES ABOUT RATIBOR’S HELIOS PHOTO STUDIO

Note: Since late 2018, I have received three separate inquiries regarding the Helios Photo Studio in Ratibor [today: Racibórz, Poland]. The first query provided the inspiration for writing Post 72 about cabinet cards, a style of photographic portraiture popular from around 1870 until World War I. Following publication of Post 72, two additional readers contacted me, the first in January 2021 and the most recent in May 2023. The first reader informed me that Claus Ogerman, a famous German arranger, conductor, and composer who made his name in America, was the son of the owners of the studio, while the second reader graciously sent me photos of the inside of the studio from the 1930s and 1940s showing the owners and staff. While none of my family is connected to the workshop, several photos astonishingly picture people whose names have come up in connection with unrelated research I’m involved in. This is the first of two posts stemming from what I’ve learned, the second post of which will be written by a guest author.

This post is the first of two interconnected stories related to Ratibor, Germany [today: Racibórz, Poland], the town in Upper Silesia where my father, Dr. Otto Bruck, was born in 1907. The stories are interrelated in a fascinating way and will be presented as two separate posts because the connection is asynchronous. I discovered the links years apart, as I will explain in the following two posts. I will author this first post, and a young Polish student, Ms. Magda Wawoczny, researching the Jewish history of Ratibor will be a guest author of the subsequent story.

The discoveries generally emanate from Post 72 which I published in February 2020 right around the time the Covid-19 pandemic was declared. In that post I introduced readers to so-called “cabinet cards,” a style of photograph which was widely used for photographic portraiture after 1870; these consisted of a thin photograph mounted on a card typically measuring 108 by 165 mm (4+ ¼ by 6+ ½ inches). (Figures 1a-b) Typically, the name of the photographic studio was imprinted on cabinet cards below the photograph. Often a lithographic design covered most of the photo backing. Many designs incorporated attractive graphics, including medals or awards the studio supposedly won at some exposition or competition, or perhaps a medal of merit or excellence that was awarded by a European monarch. Sometimes, there was even an indication that the photographer or studio was the “official” photographer of a named monarch.

Figure 1a. Front side of the cabinet card from the “Oskar Krispien” photo studio in Ratibor showing my Aunt Suzanne, my father Otto, and his older brother Fedor as children

Figure 1b. Back side of the cabinet card from the “Oskar Krispien” photo studio in Ratibor

The inspiration for Post 72 came from an English lady with a Polish surname, a Ms. Gisela Szpytko, who contacted me in December 2018 asking if I had ever heard of “Helios Photography” in Ratibor; Ms. Szpytko explained her mother, who passed away in 1998, had worked there during the 1930s. Unfamiliar with this establishment, I asked my retired lawyer friend from Racibórz, Mr. Paul Newerla, who now researches and writes extensively about the history of Silesia and Ratibor whether he was familiar with this business. Paul indeed was and sent me a photo of the street along which the studio had been located (Figure 2a), a fuzzy photo of the store’s sign (Figure 2b), and an advertisement for “Photo-Helios” from a 1936 Ratibor Address Book (Figure 3); he also sent a page from the 1923 Ratibor Address Book listing all the town’s photographers at that time identifying the Photo Helios’ proprietor as Hans Ogermann, spelled with two “n’s.” (Figures 4a-b) I shared everything Paul sent with Ms. Szpytko who gratefully acknowledged receipt of the materials, telling me she was planning on visiting Racibórz soon.

Figure 2a. Postcard of Ratibor’s “Langestraße” along which “Helios” or “Photo-Helios” photo studio was located at the far end of the street

Figure 2b. Pixilated closeup of the “Fotografie Helios” store sign

Figure 3. Page from the 1936 Ratibor Address Book with the names of existing photo studios & photographers, listing “Photo-Helios” and its owner Hans Ogermann

Figure 4a. Cover of 1923 Ratibor Address Book listing existing photographic studios

Figure 4b. 1923 list of existing Ratibor photo studios

After assisting Ms. Szpytko, I set aside the issue of the Helios Photo Studio though as mentioned it gave me the inspiration to write Post 72 about cabinet cards since they produced them. Naturally, I mentioned the studio in my post. I honestly expected this would be the last time I would write about Helios Photography. This was not to be.

A little less than a year after publishing Post 72, in January 2021, I received an intriguing email from a gentleman named Mr. Jakub “Kuba” Stankiewicz about my story. As it turns out, Mr. Stankiewicz is a jazz pianist and the director of jazz studies at the Academy of Music in Wrocław, Poland, known as Breslau when this section of Poland was part Germany. Kuba explained that the owner of Photo Helios, Hans Ogermann, was the father of Claus Ogerman (1930-2016) (Figure 5), who was one of the best contemporary composers and arrangers; Claus was born in Ratibor on the 20^th of April 1930 and lived there until 1945.

Claus Ogerman, with one “n”, was born as Klaus Ogermann with two “n’s”, according to Wikipedia. The entry describes him as a German arranger, conductor, and composer best known for his work with Billie Holiday, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Michael Brecker, and Diana Krall. In addition, Kuba Stankiewicz also mentioned some of Claus’ recordings with Bill Evans and Joao Gilberto. Wikipedia provides further details:

“In 1959, Ogerman moved to the United States and joined the producer Creed Taylor at Verve Records, working on recordings with many artists, including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Kai Winding, and Cal Tjader. Verve was sold to MGM in 1963. Ogerman, by his own reckoning in Gene Lees Jazzletter publication arranged some 60-70 albums for Verve under Creed Taylor’s direction from 1963 to 1967.”

For Americans like me who may be unaware of Claus Ogerman even though much of his career was spent here, the many pop hits he arranged during this period will no doubt sound familiar to readers, including Solomon Burke’s “Cry to Me,” and Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party,” “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” “She’s a Fool,” and “Maybe I Know.” In 1965, Ogerman charted his own name and recorded the RCA single “Watusi Trumpets.” Ogerman also worked with Diana Krall arranging and recording her 2001 album “The Look of Love” and conducting parts of her “Live in Paris” performance.

At the time Kuba Stankiewicz contacted me in January 2021 he was in the process of researching Claus Ogerman and preparing a conference at the Academy of Music in Wrocław devoted to his music. While Kuba and I have stayed in touch over the years due to our mutual interest in the Jewish history of Breslau where some of my accomplished Bruck relatives hail from, I mistakenly concluded the Ogerman connection to Ratibor and Helios Photography would assuredly be the last time I would hear about this studio. Once again, I was decidedly wrong.

Several months ago in May, I was contacted by yet another person in connection to the Helios Photo Studio, a German lady by the name of Ms. Jessica Nastos. Amazingly, Jessica’s great-grandmother also worked in the studio during the 1930s-1940s. As we speak, I’m trying to determine whether Ms. Nastos’ great-grandmother may have known and/or worked at the business at the same time as Ms. Szpytko’s mother; that would indeed be quite astonishing.

Jessica graciously sent me photos in her possession of the inside of the Helios studio taken in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as an envelope with the name of the business imprinted on it. (Figure 6) Naturally, Jessica included several photos of her great-grandmother. (Figure 7) When I learned her ancestor was named Elzbieta “Lilly” Slawik née Grzonka (1926-2016) my jaw dropped, and a big chill went through my body. I want to keep readers in suspense until the subsequent post so suffice it for now to say that I was already familiar with Elzbieta Grzonka; her name had come up during Ms. Magda Wawoczny’s research on an altogether different topic when Magda asked for my help. Stay tuned for the subsequent post.

Figure 7. Jessica Nastos great-grandmother, Elzbieta “Lilly” Slawik née Grzonka working in the lab at Photo Helios (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Figure 8. Elzbieta Grzonka with her mother Pauline Grzonka in the 1940s (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

The photographs Jessica Nastos sent me included images not only of Elzbieta but also her mother Pauline Grzonka (1895-1971) (Figure 8), who features prominently in the subsequent story, as well as several group pictures of the staff that worked at the Helios Studio; only one staffer was identified by name, a Ms. Maria Labudek. While not identified by name, I think the older gentleman and lady shown in two of the images are Hans Ogermann and his wife Emma Ogermann née Wrazidlo, the parents of Claus Ogerman. (Figures 9-10)

Figure 9. Group photo of young ladies working at Photo Helios with the older seated lady on left believed to be Emma Ogermann; Elzbieta is standing in the middle, while Ms. Maria Labudek is the lady standing on the far left (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Figure 10. Another group photo of staffers from Photo Helios with the gentleman now known to be Leopold “Leo” Simon; Elzbieta is seated just below him (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Obviously, the only relationship with my Bruck family of any of the above-named individuals is their association with the town in Upper Silesia where my father was born. While I have several cabinet cards depicting my family that were produced by studios in Ratibor, I don’t have any made by Helios Photography. That said, thanks to the contributions of several readers I have been able to learn a little more about the people who worked there and even uncover pictures of several of them from almost 80 years ago. Given all that was lost and destroyed during World War II, and the transition from German to Polish administration of most of Silesia, I consider this a modest contribution to the historical study of Ratibor.

REFERENCE

“Claus Ogerman.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claus_Ogerman.