Wilhelm Kleemann – a benefactor of his birthplace

The Jewish teacher of religion and cantor Michael Löb Kleemann was a highly respected person both in the Jewish community and the town of Forchheim. He took up his position on April 1^st, 1860 and occupied it for almost 50 years. Of his seven children Samuel (*1862) and Wilhelm (*1869) were the best known.

After training at the Banking House A.E. Wassermann in Bamberg and gaining experience in several other positions Wilhelm Kleemann was appointed director of the Dresdener Bank in Berlin. He received a variety of honours, was a member of numerous economic committees and was board member of the Jewish community in Berlin. At the end of 1937 he and his wife fled from the increasing sanctions to Amsterdam and in 1940 on to the USA. Wilhelm Kleemann died on March 10^th, 1969 in New York.

Wilhelm Kleemann proved to be very generous towards his birthplace. Together with his brother Samuel in 1918 he established the “Michael and Amalie Kleemann Foundation for the poor and sick”. And after the Second World War he repeatedly made donations to sports clubs, charitable organizations and the Catholic rectory of St. Martin in Forchheim despite the persecution and killing of family members by the Nazis. In 1966, over 90 years of age, Wilhelm Kleemann visited his birthplace where he was presented with the Ring of Honour.

In 2014 a path along the Wiesent was named after Wilhelm Kleemann. The Local History Society laid a commemoration stone designed by the artist Harald Winter.

Homepage of the Kleemann Monument: www.forchheim.de/wk/