Jump to content

Karl Amson Joel: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Improving the article.
m Enum 2 author/editor WLs; WP:GenFixes on
Line 21: Line 21:


==Biography==
==Biography==
Joel, born into a Jewish family in [[Colmberg]], was the son of a textile merchant and his wife. Joel also entered the textile business, founding a [[Nuremberg]]-based [[mail order]] textile and clothing company in 1928.<ref name=htt>{{cite web |url=http://www.wnyc.org/shows/heresthething/2012/jul/30/transcript/ |title=Billy Joel |author=[[Billy Joel]] |date=July 30, 2012 |access-date=2012-08-03 |quote=They had a mail-order textile business, Joel Macht Fabrik ...|publisher=[[Here's The Thing]] }}</ref> The following year he also started manufacturing. Joel's company soon became one of the leading mail order sellers in Germany (along with [[Quelle (company)|Quelle]], or [[Schöpflin (company)|Schöpflin]]).
Joel, born into a Jewish family in [[Colmberg]], was the son of a textile merchant and his wife. Joel also entered the textile business, founding a [[Nuremberg]]-based [[mail order]] textile and clothing company in 1928.<ref name=htt>{{cite web |url=http://www.wnyc.org/shows/heresthething/2012/jul/30/transcript/ |title=Billy Joel |author=Billy Joel |author-link=Billy Joel |date=July 30, 2012 |access-date=2012-08-03 |quote=They had a mail-order textile business, Joel Macht Fabrik ...|publisher=[[Here's The Thing]] }}</ref> The following year he also started manufacturing. Joel's company soon became one of the leading mail order sellers in Germany (along with [[Quelle (company)|Quelle]], or [[Schöpflin (company)|Schöpflin]]).


After the [[Machtergreifung|rise to power]] of [[Nazism]] (1933), Joel was increasingly discriminated against by the regional [[Nazi Party]] leaders, especially [[Julius Streicher]]. Joel moved his company to [[Berlin]] in 1934, where he rented a factory site in [[Wedding (Berlin)|Wedding]] and installed new packing machines. The stitching department, however, had to remain in Nuremberg. As discrimination further increased (e.g. deliveries had to be marked with a "J" for Jude, or Jew), and Jewish firms became [[Aryanization (Nazism)|Aryanized]], Joel was forced to sell his company in 1938 to [[Josef Neckermann]].<ref>{{cite news |author=[[Julia Goldman]]|url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/arts/arts_guide/stranger_no_more |title=Stranger No More |date=January 17, 2003 |access-date=2012-08-03 |quote=The purchaser was Josef Neckermann, a 25-year-old Wuerzberg native and Nazi-party member who earlier had bought out the Jewish department store king, Siegmund Ruschkewitz. Without realizing the significance of his actions, Neckermann reportedly wrote in his memoirs, "I just carefully stirred my cup of coffee ... and thus became an aryaniser." |publisher=[[The Jewish Week]] }}</ref> The original agreement of 2.3 million marks was further reduced by Neckermann to 1.1 million marks. The money was transferred to a trust account at the banking house Hardy & Co. in Berlin.
After the [[Machtergreifung|rise to power]] of [[Nazism]] (1933), Joel was increasingly discriminated against by the regional [[Nazi Party]] leaders, especially [[Julius Streicher]]. Joel moved his company to [[Berlin]] in 1934, where he rented a factory site in [[Wedding (Berlin)|Wedding]] and installed new packing machines. The stitching department, however, had to remain in Nuremberg. As discrimination further increased (e.g. deliveries had to be marked with a "J" for Jude, or Jew), and Jewish firms became [[Aryanization (Nazism)|Aryanized]], Joel was forced to sell his company in 1938 to [[Josef Neckermann]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Julia Goldman |author-link=Julia Goldman |url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/arts/arts_guide/stranger_no_more |title=Stranger No More |date=January 17, 2003 |access-date=2012-08-03 |quote=The purchaser was Josef Neckermann, a 25-year-old Wuerzberg native and Nazi-party member who earlier had bought out the Jewish department store king, Siegmund Ruschkewitz. Without realizing the significance of his actions, Neckermann reportedly wrote in his memoirs, "I just carefully stirred my cup of coffee ... and thus became an aryaniser." |publisher=[[The Jewish Week]] }}</ref> The original agreement of 2.3 million marks was further reduced by Neckermann to 1.1 million marks. The money was transferred to a trust account at the banking house Hardy & Co. in Berlin.


Meanwhile, Joel and his wife Meta had emigrated to [[Switzerland]] in July 1938. Their son Helmut (later called Howard) attended boarding school there. As a so-called ''"Devisenausländer"'' (currency foreigner), Joel could not get access to the trust account in Berlin. In August 1938 he was expatriated, and his firm was confiscated the following month. Via France and England, the Joels left Europe. They emigrated to Cuba. Finally, they reached the United States, where Joel started a new enterprise in 1942 in New York City. They had not been able to emigrate directly to the US because of its quotas. Their son Helmut Joel completed college there and became an engineer. He married and had two children; his son [[Billy Joel]] became a popular singer and songwriter, a highly successful musician. In 1957, Helmut and his wife divorced and he returned to Europe, finally settling in England, where he married again and had a second son, [[Alexander Joel (conductor)|Alexander Joel]], who became a conductor.
Meanwhile, Joel and his wife Meta had emigrated to [[Switzerland]] in July 1938. Their son Helmut (later called Howard) attended boarding school there. As a so-called ''"Devisenausländer"'' (currency foreigner), Joel could not get access to the trust account in Berlin. In August 1938 he was expatriated, and his firm was confiscated the following month. Via France and England, the Joels left Europe. They emigrated to Cuba. Finally, they reached the United States, where Joel started a new enterprise in 1942 in New York City. They had not been able to emigrate directly to the US because of its quotas. Their son Helmut Joel completed college there and became an engineer. He married and had two children; his son [[Billy Joel]] became a popular singer and songwriter, a highly successful musician. In 1957, Helmut and his wife divorced and he returned to Europe, finally settling in England, where he married again and had a second son, [[Alexander Joel (conductor)|Alexander Joel]], who became a conductor.
Line 30: Line 30:


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

Revision as of 16:31, 24 December 2020

Karl Amson Joel
Joel
BornNovember 20, 1889
Colmberg, Bavaria, Germany
DiedNovember 4, 1982(1982-11-04) (aged 92)
Nuremberg, Bavaria
NationalityJewish-German
Occupation(s)Merchant and manufacturer

Karl Amson Joel (November 20, 1889 – November 4, 1982) was a German Jewish textile merchant and manufacturer with Joel Macht Fabrik. He was the grandfather of American musician Billy Joel and British conductor Alexander Joel, who are half brothers.

Biography

Joel, born into a Jewish family in Colmberg, was the son of a textile merchant and his wife. Joel also entered the textile business, founding a Nuremberg-based mail order textile and clothing company in 1928.[1] The following year he also started manufacturing. Joel's company soon became one of the leading mail order sellers in Germany (along with Quelle, or Schöpflin).

After the rise to power of Nazism (1933), Joel was increasingly discriminated against by the regional Nazi Party leaders, especially Julius Streicher. Joel moved his company to Berlin in 1934, where he rented a factory site in Wedding and installed new packing machines. The stitching department, however, had to remain in Nuremberg. As discrimination further increased (e.g. deliveries had to be marked with a "J" for Jude, or Jew), and Jewish firms became Aryanized, Joel was forced to sell his company in 1938 to Josef Neckermann.[2] The original agreement of 2.3 million marks was further reduced by Neckermann to 1.1 million marks. The money was transferred to a trust account at the banking house Hardy & Co. in Berlin.

Meanwhile, Joel and his wife Meta had emigrated to Switzerland in July 1938. Their son Helmut (later called Howard) attended boarding school there. As a so-called "Devisenausländer" (currency foreigner), Joel could not get access to the trust account in Berlin. In August 1938 he was expatriated, and his firm was confiscated the following month. Via France and England, the Joels left Europe. They emigrated to Cuba. Finally, they reached the United States, where Joel started a new enterprise in 1942 in New York City. They had not been able to emigrate directly to the US because of its quotas. Their son Helmut Joel completed college there and became an engineer. He married and had two children; his son Billy Joel became a popular singer and songwriter, a highly successful musician. In 1957, Helmut and his wife divorced and he returned to Europe, finally settling in England, where he married again and had a second son, Alexander Joel, who became a conductor.

In 1957 Karl Joel got a compensation of 2 million German marks for his former company from Neckermann, who ran the most successful German mail order selling company at the time. In 1964 Joel returned to Nuremberg, where he lived until his death on November 4, 1982.

References

  1. ^ Billy Joel (July 30, 2012). "Billy Joel". Here's The Thing. Retrieved 2012-08-03. They had a mail-order textile business, Joel Macht Fabrik ...
  2. ^ Julia Goldman (January 17, 2003). "Stranger No More". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 2012-08-03. The purchaser was Josef Neckermann, a 25-year-old Wuerzberg native and Nazi-party member who earlier had bought out the Jewish department store king, Siegmund Ruschkewitz. Without realizing the significance of his actions, Neckermann reportedly wrote in his memoirs, "I just carefully stirred my cup of coffee ... and thus became an aryaniser."
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Karl_Amson_Joel&oldid=996113285"