The Life Story of Leopold and Louise (Lieschen) (née Heineberg) Heilbrunn
Leopold Heilbrunn was born on 29 November 1886 in the small town of Sontra, in the Werra-Meissner district of Hessen, Germany. He was the third of nine children born to Meier Heilbrunn and Caecilia (Cohn) Heilbrunn, growing up in a close-knit Jewish family whose home at Bahnhofstrasse 7 would later become a place of remembrance through the laying of a Stolperstein.
As a young man, Leopold lived and worked in Sontra, partnering with his brother Hugo in a produce merchant business. These years were marked by diligence and enterprise, but also by growing uncertainty as antisemitism intensified across Germany.
Louise (known as Lieschen) Heineberg was born on 3 April 1894 in Brakel, Kreis Höxter, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, the ninth child of Bernhard Heineberg and Emilie Abel. She grew up among eight siblings, Julius Jacob, Siegmund, Ida, Hugo, Otto, Paul, Grete, and Ernst.
Leopold and Lieschen were married on 16 May 1922 in Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen. Their marriage brought together two strong family traditions and marked the beginning of a partnership that would be tested by the upheavals of the twentieth century.
Their daughter, Edith Emilie Heilbrunn, was born on 3 May 1923 in Frankfurt am Main, followed by their son, Manfred Heilbrunn, on 27 August 1924, also in Frankfurt. The young family lived in Germany during a period of rapidly worsening conditions for Jewish citizens.
By 1933, the situation had become untenable. A pivotal moment occurred when Leopold was sitting beside his Jewish lawyer who was shot, underscoring the immediacy of the danger. On 7 July 1933, Leopold and Lieschen emigrated to South Africa with their children abord the Usambara ship , leaving behind their homeland to ensure their survival.
The family settled in Nigel, Transvaal which is about 40kms east of Johannesburg. In 1934 Leopold founded Nigel Timber and Hardware selling building products ranging from timber and cement to hammers, nails and screws - to the building industry as well as the home users. The business became both a livelihood and a refuge, providing employment to some newly arrived German Jewish refugees and helping the families establish security and respect in their new country.
Life in South Africa allowed the Heilbrunn family to rebuild. Edith married Heinz Lasnitzki in Johannesburg in 1945 and he then joined his father-in law in the business. Heinz and Edith had 3 children who grew up in Nigel and together the family played an integral role in both the Jewish and broader communities of Nigel.
Manfred married Irene Caspary in Johannesburg in 1951 and remained in South Africa until his death in 1994. They too had 3 children, lived in Springs for many years where they, individually and as a family unit were very important and popular within the Jewish Community
Leopold suffered a serious stroke in 1957 which affected his speech very badly. He died on 1 February 1962 in Nigel, Gauteng, aged 75, and was buried in the Nigel Jewish Cemetery. Lieschen lived a further seventeen years, passing away on 26 March 1979, and was laid to rest beside him in the same cemetery.
Together, Leopold and Lieschen Heilbrunn’s lives tell a shared story of endurance, courage, and devotion to family. From small towns in Germany to a new life in South Africa, their journey reflects the resilience of those who rebuilt their lives after forced migration, leaving a legacy that continues through their descendants.
