Fritz Rosenbaum attended the Jewish primary school in his native town Witten. Then he went to the Realgymnasium. In 1930, he went to work in Dortmund in his father's textile wholesale business. At that time, he developed an interest for Catholicism. Without his father's knowledge, he asked to be baptised on 15 september 1933 by father Rechmann.
Fritz Rosenbaum attended political meetings in Witten in the thirties which often ended up in violence. As an 18-year old, he took boxing classes to defend himself against street attacks. In 1934, the SA's attacked his father, Ludwig Rosenbaum. One year later, Ludwig Rosenbaum took his own life. In 1938, Fritz Rosenbaum was dragged from his house and beaten up. His catholicism offered no protection. He escaped to the Josef church, where father Rechmann took care of him.
On 1 March 1939, Fritz Rosenbaum left Witten for Rotterdam. On 3 October, he was accepted in the Order of the Holy Franciscus under the name of Brother Wolfgang. One month later, he left for the Minderbroederklooster in Woerden at Wilhelminaweg 15, where he took his vows in 1940.
The monastery did not offer the desired protection. On 2 August 1942, he was first taken to Scheveningen prison like many other Jewish catholics and then to Penal Camp Amersfoort where from he was moved on to Westerbork. On 7 augustus 1942, he was deported to Auschwitz. He was killed on 30 September of that year.
W.C. Ultee, We mogen nergens heen, we moeten naar Vught. De joodse inwoners van Woerden, 1930-1947 (Woerden 1999) 36
Biography