Martha von Simson née Oppenheim

Martha von Simson was born in Berlin on 26 March 1882, the daughter of Franz (1852-1929) and Elsbet Oppenheim, née Wollheim (1858-1904).

Her paternal ancestors had converted to Christianity in the first half of the 19th century. Her maternal grandparents were Jews.

Martha Oppenheim experienced a sheltered childhood and youth and was taught by home teachers. On 30 September 1901, at the age of 19, she married Ernst von Simson in Wannsee near Berlin.

The couple had six children, three of whom had to emigrate during the National Socialist regime.

In 1911/12, the architect Otto Bartning built a large house for them in Dahlem, Messelstraße 35-39 (today: Messelstraße 7/11), which extended to Max-Eyth-Straße. The property also included a vegetable garden and tennis courts. They lived here until their forced emigration.

In 1938, the couple was forced to pay the Jewish property tax.
From January 1939 they had to bear the forced names "Sara" and "Israel" respectively.
In March 1939, Martha and Ernst von Simson emigrated via Switzerland to Oxford/England, paying the Reich Flight Tax.

Martha von Simson remained in England until the end of the 1960s. She then returned to Berlin, where she lived until her death.