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tsmiecho

Joined: 09 Jul 2025
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Location: Łódź
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 8:22 am Post subject: Searching for Information about the Richter Family from Łódź

Hello,

I am seeking any information about the Richter family from Łódź, Poland—a well-known family of industrialists originally from Česká Lípa who settled in Łódź in the 19th century. I am particularly interested in Wiera Richter, a prominent Polish tennis player and nine-time national champion in the interwar period, granddaughter of Zygmunt Richter.

I am looking for any details about Wiera and other members of the Richter family, especially regarding emigration to the United States, Canada, or other countries in the 20th century, as well as their fate during World War II. I would be grateful for any information, memories, photographs, documents, or leads that could help in my research. I am also eager to connect with descendants or anyone with knowledge about this family.

Please feel free to reply here on the forum or contact me directly at: [email protected].

Thank you in advance for any assistance!

Dzień dobry,

Zwracam się z prośbą o pomoc w odnalezieniu informacji na temat rodziny Richterów, znanej łódzkiej rodziny fabrykanckiej pochodzącej z Czeskiej Lipy, która osiedliła się w Łodzi w XIX wieku. Szczególnie zależy mi na wszelkich wiadomościach dotyczących Wiery Richter – wybitnej tenisistki, dziewięciokrotnej mistrzyni Polski w okresie międzywojennym, wnuczki Zygmunta Richtera.

Interesują mnie zarówno losy Wiery, jak i innych członków tej rodziny, zwłaszcza w kontekście emigracji do Stanów Zjednoczonych, Kanady lub innych krajów w XX wieku, a także ich losów podczas II wojny światowej. Będę wdzięczny za każdą informację, wspomnienia, zdjęcia, dokumenty lub wskazówki, które mogą pomóc w dalszych poszukiwaniach. Chętnie nawiążę kontakt z potomkami lub osobami mającymi wiedzę na temat tej rodziny.

Proszę o kontakt tutaj na forum lub na adres e-mail: [email protected].

Z góry dziękuję za wszelką pomoc!

BarbOslo
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 5:00 pm Post subject:

Hi,
Not sure what you know about her. Do you know these websites?
https://historiapolskiegotenisa.pl/wiera-richterowna/153_4352_0
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiera_Richter
https://arolsen-archives.org/en/

Regards,
-Barb

tsmiecho

Joined: 09 Jul 2025
Replies: 10
Location: Łódź
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 3:55 am Post subject:

Hi Barb,

Thank you very much for your reply and for the links. I was already familiar with the first two publications, but I truly appreciate the third one—Arolsen Archives—which I had not come across before. It looks like a valuable resource for further research.

I have been visiting museums and archives in search of reliable information about Wiera Richter, especially regarding her life after her sports career, but so far I have not found any solid details. If you have any additional information, leads, or suggestions, I would be very grateful. Also, I wanted to ask if you might be related to the Richter family or have any personal connection to them.

I would be happy to exchange emails to stay in touch and share any findings.

Thank you again for your help!

Best regards,
Anna

Sophia
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 8:22 am Post subject:

Hi Anna and Barb,

Here is information about Wiera's younger sister Ksenia. It is from the residence lists of Mindelheim. It appears to be providing her date of death. I had gone to these "Einwohnermelderegister" records fully expecting to see your Wiera there, based on what I saw in the Arolsen records, but I am unable to find her listed. The years 1870-1950 are covered by these records, so she should be there. The Arolsen record, document ID 75838462 showed Wiera "zugezogen von Mindelheim Bahnhofstrasse 23 am 8.10.48" and then "weggezogen nach Mindelheim 8.10.51." The address in 1951 is harder for me to read. Given that she was living there in 1948, I do not know why I cannot find her on a residence card.

Here is Ksenia (note the spelling, Xenia):

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9T5Z-C76?wc=7J6P-86C%3A242635301%2C950556701%26cc%3D1941345&cc=1941345&lang=en&i=18

Anna, you may need to ask for translation assistance from Michael here on the forum. If you just go here:
https://forum.polishorigins.com/viewtopic.php?p=84084#84084
and scroll down to were it says "Quick Reply" you can put a question there. The German Records Translations is one long thread so your request will be mixed in with others.

Best regards,
Sophia

Sophia
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 9:08 am Post subject:

Hi again,

Just a few thoughts about Wiera's name. I think you have already come across this, but I will mention anyway that Wiera may show up as Wera or Vera. On the website for the History of Polish Tennis, there is also the spelling Vera Rychter (note the "y" rather than "i" in the surname). I notice that they have the incorrect year of birth for her, though.

https://historiapolskiegotenisa.pl/wiera-richterowna/153_4352_0

Using the Rychter spelling did not get me far, but you may want to include it in your searches.

The Richterówna form of her surname is, as you probably know, an old way of applying suffixes to women's names. The ówna shows that she is unmarried. Here is one resource that mentions it:

https://www.polishroots.com/Research/SurnameSearch/Surnamesendings?PageId=118

Question for you -- do you know for certain that she emigrated to North America? Or is it that you do not know where she ended up?

Best regards,
Sophia

tsmiecho

Joined: 09 Jul 2025
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Location: Łódź
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 9:50 am Post subject:

Hello Sophia,

Thank you very much for your help and for sharing your knowledge and resources regarding Wiera Richter and her family.

I wanted to clarify that I do not have any documents or concrete evidence confirming that Wiera emigrated to the United States. My information is based solely on an oral conversation I had with an employee of the Museum of Sport and Tourism. He told me that he has documents related to the daughter of Wiera’s sister, who lived in the USA. However, there are no documents confirming that Wiera herself was ever there. I have asked for copies of these documents, but unfortunately, I have not received anything so far.

Thank you again for your assistance and for the kindness of everyone willing to help me in my research. I truly appreciate it!

Sophia
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 10:08 am Post subject:

Hi Anna,

Interesting to know that the Museum of Sport and Tourism has documents, and frustrating to know that they have not shared them with you yet.

Did you notice my first reply to you, with info about Ksenia?

Best regards,
Sophia

Trish
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Joined: 23 Sep 2020
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 11:11 am Post subject:

Sophia wrote:

i Everyone,

Going by the record Sophia found on Xenia and going by Xenia's date of birth, I found this.

Regards,
Trish

Name Wiera Richter
Gender weiblich (Female)
Nationality Polen
Record Type Miscellaneous
Birth Date 20 Mai 1892 (20 May 1892)
Birth Place Lódz
Last Residence Lódz
Residence Place München (Munich), München (Munich)
Reference Number 02010101 oS
Document ID 70078256
Source: Free Access: Europe, Registration of Foreigners and German Persecutees, 1939-1947

This is also a possible record for Wiera.

Name Wiera Richter
Gender Weiblich (Female)
Nationality Russland
Departure Age 42
Birth Date abt 1892
Residence Date Abt 1934
Residence Place Lodz
Departure Date 09 Sep 1934 (9 Sep 1934)
Departure Place Bremen
Destination Place London
Arrival Place Southampton, England
Origin Polen
Ship Europa
Shipping Line Nordd. Lloyd, Bremen
Passenger Class I. Klasse
Passenger Number 12
URL http://www.passagierlisten.de/
Source: Web: Bremen, Germany, Passenger Lists Index, 1907-1939

Wiera and sister.jpg

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tsmiecho

Joined: 09 Jul 2025
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Location: Łódź
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 1:40 pm Post subject:

I would like to sincerely thank both Trish and Sophia for all your help.
And to Sophia: I wanted to let you know that I have posted a request in this thread ([link to: https://forum.polishorigins.com/viewtopic.php?p=86078#86078]) asking for help with translating the document about Ksenia that you kindly attached earlier. The registration document is from May 16, 1946 and November 14, 1946, I suspect that this is the date of death, as you suggested, but I want to understand what is written there.

Trish
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 1:50 pm Post subject:

tsmiecho wrote:

Hi Anna,
Can I ask the name of Wiera's parents?

Thanks!
Warm Regards,
Trish

Sophia
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 2:12 pm Post subject:

Trish wrote:

tsmiecho wrote:

Hi Anna,
Can I ask the name of Wiera's parents?

Thanks!
Warm Regards,
Trish

Hi Trish,

It looks like her father is Reinhold Richter.

This is Wiera's birth record from Łódź św. Trójca (ewang.). It is record #1239 from 1892. It is written in Russian which I cannot read, but the names are also written in our alphabet. Wiera's middle name was Matylda.

https://metryki.genealodzy.pl/index.php?op=pg&id=87&se=&sy=1892&kt=1&plik=1239-1242.jpg&x=76&y=177&zoom=1.5

Let me find Xenia's record. Maybe there it will be easier to see the mother's name.

Best,
Sophia

Sophia
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 2:17 pm Post subject:

Hi again,

Ksenia / Xenia was actually born in 1895, not in 1894 as the Arolsen document stated. Here is record #561 from the same church as Wiera, it is for Xenia Julia Richter:

https://metryki.genealodzy.pl/index.php?op=pg&id=87&se=&sy=1895&kt=1&plik=0559-0562.jpg&x=1857&y=76&zoom=2

For the mother, I am seeing "Lorenz" which I take to be her surname.

Best,
Sophia

Trish
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 2:26 pm Post subject:

Sophia wrote:

Trish wrote:

tsmiecho wrote:

Hi Anna,
Can I ask the name of Wiera's parents?

Thanks!
Warm Regards,
Trish

Hi Sophia,

Thank you for the information on the father. I found this. There is no image for the record.

Name Wiera Richter
Gender Female
Marital Status Single
Birth Date 24 de mai de 1892 (24 May 1892)
Birth Place Lodz
Arrival Date 1953
Arrival Place Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Father Reinhold
Mother Mathilde Richter
Traveling With Children No
FHL Film Number 004870770
Source: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Immigration Cards, 1900-1965

Here is another record for Wiera and her sister.
Note: The sister is also listed with Wiera.
Name Wiera-Matylda Richter
Gender weiblich (Female)
Nationality Polen
Residence Age 54
Record Type Miscellaneous
Birth Date abt 1891
Birth Place Lódz
Last Residence Lódz
Sojourn Start Date 1945
Sojourn End Date 1946
Reference Number 02010101 oS
Document ID 70235086
Source: Free Access: Europe, Registration of Foreigners and German Persecutees, 1939-1947

Regards,
Trish

1945-1946 Record for Wiera and sister.jpg

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Sophia
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 3:00 pm Post subject:

Trish wrote:

I found this. There is no image for the record.

Name Wiera Richter
Gender Female
Marital Status Single
Birth Date 24 de mai de 1892 (24 May 1892)
Birth Place Lodz
Arrival Date 1953
Arrival Place Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Father Reinhold
Mother Mathilde Richter
Traveling With Children No
FHL Film Number 004870770
Source: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Immigration Cards, 1900-1965

Regards,
Trish

Hi Anna and Trish,

This may be the biggest step forward so far, the immigration card to Brazil that Trish found.

We're having a good day!
Sophia

BarbOslo
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 4:01 pm Post subject:

Hi
Hard work, Sophia and Trish.
I landed in Poland yesterday afternoon, and will be somewhat limited in my availability for the next few days. You have found a lot of new information. It seems that sister Xenia Julia did not emigrate to Brazil. She died in Munich (Germany) on November 14,1946.

-Barb

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