Summary
Eugen Neumaier was born in 1873 in Ellwangen. He appears to have initially made an apprenticeship as a saddler or leather worker and paperhanger for wallpaper (Sattler und Tapezierer). In 1889, at the age of 16 Eugen, with religion «Israelite», formally applied to the District of the Jagstkreis and the Kingdom of Württemberg to immigrate to the USA and the application was accepted. Eugen was relieved of his citizenship of Württemberg. He left immediately on the Norddeutscher Lloyd Steamship Eider from Bremen to New York City with 300 Marks in his pocket. Eugen was a bit of an itinerant traveling salesman like many of his brothers and sister. In 1901 his is listed as living in England. This probably having to do with his dealings in cloth and curtains. Eugen traveled to Germany often it seems and he even had, in 1904, an office in Barmen nearby Düsseldorf which was an industrial textile center where Eugen certainly had commercial dealings.
In 1906 Eugene (as he wrote his name in the US) made it into a New York Newspaper because he got caught doing some petty smuggling of goods. In 1908 Eugene married Irma Kantrowitz, from Indiana, daughter of Henry Kantrowitz. The marriage was announced in many of the primary German financial newspapers like the Berlin Tageblatt und Handelszeitung. Showing again Eugen moved freely back and forth between Germany and America. Eugene and his company “Eugen Neumaier & Company, Inc.” were based on 3 West 18th St. in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. Most New York Newspapers at the time carried adds with his «Marquisette Curtains» and novelty and lace curtains up till the late 20s. In 1928 Eugen patented a couple ornamental curtain designs and landed in US custom’s court for some import irregularities concerning Irish Point curtains at least once.
Eugene died in 1939 at the age of 66 childless and was buried in the Linden Hill Jewish Cemetery in Queens. His wife Irma lived until 1982. Eugene helped many of the extended family immigrate to the US and he and his wife were contact and messaging service for the family as well. During the rise of National Socialism Eugene helped and sponsored a substantial number of Jewish extended family members into the United States potentially saving many lives. A son of Max Neumaier named Adolf seems to have taken over the curtain business after Eugen passed it on.
26.08.1873 Born – Ellwangen, Kingdom of Württemberg
1889 Auswanderungsgesuch Ellwangen
An die Königliche Regierung des Jagstkreises.
Bericht
Das Oberamt Ellwangen, betreffend: des Gesuch des Sattlers und Tapezierers Eugen Neumaier von Ellwangen um Entlassung aus der württembergischen Staatsangehörigkeit.
Ellwangen, den 27. Mai 1889.
Der zu Ellwangen am 26. August 1873 geboren, mithin noch nicht im militärpflichtigen Alter stehende Sattler und Tapezierer Eugen Neumaier, ehelichen Sohn des Fruchthändlers Josef Neumaier, bürgerlich in Ellwangen und dessen Ehefrau Theres geborene Kahn, israelitisch, bittet um seine Entlassung aus der württembergischen Staatsangehörigkeit zum Zweck seiner Auswanderung in Nordamerika. Der Vater des Auswanderungslustigen wie auch der Gemeinderat Ellwangen zugleich als Vormundschaftsbehörde haben gegen dieses Auswanderungsvorhaben nicht zu [erinnern?]. An Vermögen exportiert Neumaier 300 M. Das Gesuch wird um mit dem Anfügen, dass der Entlassung aus das württembergischen Staatsangehörigkeit entgegenstehende Gründe nicht bekannt sind, zu hehre Entschliessung gehorsamst vorgelegt.
Transkribiert von mir
08.09.1889 – mit dem S/S EIDER von Bremen nach New York ausgewandert. Alter 16.
1904 Brief Auswanderungsschein
Regierung d. Jagstkreises 28. FEB. 190[4], S.S. «Celtic»
Lieber Bruder Louis
Wiederum bin ich in Europa aber nicht lange genug um Euch alle zu besuchen da ich wieder am 12th März abfahre muss also das Besuch machen bis September verschieben. Sigmund schrieb dir in meinem Name um ein Duplikat meiner Auswanderung sheines thue dies sofort sonst kann ich nicht meine Office in Barmen besuchen. Was du für Max, Sig, & mich hast vom Papa Selig shike zu Elise dann kann ich es mitnahmen nach America. Was unsere Angelegenheit betrifft kann ich leider heute nichts thun da die Geschäfte nicht gut gehen dich und die deinigen vielmals grüssend verbleibe dein dichl Bruder Eugene
Viele Grüsse an Ballenbergers, Heinrichs + Herr Lehrer wo liegt Papa sel begraben
Eugene
- (Salomon) Heinrich – Viehhandler Familie in Ellwangen
- (Louis) Ballenberger – Lumpen engr. in Ellwangen
1906
The French Linder La Touraine, in from Havre… One passenger, Eugene Neumaier, was found to have three or four hundred dollars worth of goods, although he had declared but one hundred dollars› worth. His baggage was sent to the Public Stores.
The Morning Telegraph, New York 26.02.1906
1908 Marriage
Heiratsanzeige. Eugen Neumaier Irma Kantrowitz Tochter des Herrn Henry Kantrowitz u. dessen Gattin. Vermählte.
Berlin Tageblatt und Handelszeitung 30.01.1908
1915 Eugen Neumaier & Co, NYC
1927
Tariff Valuations On Curtains Upheld – Customs Court Endorses Decision of Collector on Irish Point. New York, March 15 – A decision has just been announced by the United States Customs Court involving a question of the valuation, for tariff purposes, of Irish point curtains imported by Eugene Neumaier & Company, Inc. Reliquidation was requested by the importers upon the ground of clerical error and this was refused by the collector. Protest was lodged against this refusal and the customs court has just decided that the collector was correct in refusing to reliquidate the entry.
US Daily 03.16.1927
1928
Died 03.11.1939 NYC, Linden Hill Jewish Cemetery Queens, age 66.