Quality at a good price – Rosenthal & Co.’s department store

Rosenthal’s department store founded in 1904 by Benno and Max Rosenthal was the first and remained the only department store in Forchheim. The assortment of goods included ready to wear clothing, bed clothes, shoes, carpets, toys and much else. The wide range of choice attracted many customers. The owner was Max Lefèbre, a Prussian, who had married Klara Rosenthal the sister of the stores founder. The success of the business was due amongst other things to the customer friendly opening times. The store opened on Sundays. The needs of Christian customers were also taken into account, suits and dresses for the communion of Catholic children and confirmation of Protestant children were also sold.

Max Lefèbre employed eye-catching full page adverts in the local press and repeatedly offered “bargain weeks” when prices were reduced for buying in quantity. This dynamic storekeeper died at the early age of 48 while on a train journey. The flourishing business was taken over by his eldest daughter Elli and her husband Paul Wertheim. The store was plundered during the Reich’s Pogrom Night in 1938. Along with other Jewish townspeople from Forchheim Paul Wertheim was imprisoned in the concentration camp at Dachau for several weeks. In 1939 Elli and Paul Wertheim together with their son Martin and the widow Klara Lefèbre succeeded in fleeing to Cuba. Later the family moved on to the USA.