Rudolf Mansbacher was the second son of Jewish parents Saly Mansbacher and Selma Falk, who were married in Essen on 25 October 1895. Their first son, Erich, was born on 6 November 1896 and was killed in Kalwaria on the Eastern Front in the First World War on 25 March 1915. Their third and youngest son survived World War II.
Rudolf Mansbacher became a neurologist and practised in Berlin. On 20 September 1930 he married a Protestant woman in Berlin-Charlottenburg-Wlmersdorf. Due to the circumstances under the Nazi regime, they were divorced on 25 March 1941. They had one child.
Rudolf Mansbacher left Germany for The Hague in the Netherlands in 1937/38. His wife and child went to stay with her mother in Bansin. Rudolf was supported in the Netherlands by the Hirschland family and later by support smuggled in by students from his (ex-) wife and her second husband, whom she married in 1941 in order to protect herself and her child. Rudolf's wife and child survived the war.
During the German occupation of the Netherlands Rudolf went into hiding in a Catholic monastery, from where he was betrayed. He was captured and taken to Theresienstadt. Theresienstadt was overcrowded and 200 people, among whom Rudolf, were taken to Schertendorf/Grünberg. Sometimes Rudolf was called as a doctor - taken under heavy guard. His ex wife had news from Schertendorf right up to 1944-45 until shortly before the invasion of the Russians. Rudolf's letters were smuggled to hix ex wife from the camp by a lumberjack, who was allowed into the camp. His ex wife even visited the lumberjack and his family, who put her up for two days. She took underwear, food and everything Rudolf wanted on the night-train, taking detours on the way. She also left money and civilian clothing with these people.
Two days before the invasion of the Russians and Poles all the people disappeared from Schertendorf. After the war Rudolf Mansbacher was declared dead.
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