Biographies U - W

The Wachenheimer family comes from Biebesheim am Rhein, a little village in which the family had lived for many generations. They had a successful butchery and were religious Jews who played an active role in the local synagogue.

Charlotte “Lottie” (now Kramer) and her brother Sigi Wachenheimer presently live in Johannesburg. They were 6 and 4 years old respectively when their parents, Leo and Minna (née Alexander), decided to leave Germany and seek a secure future in South Africa. Leo had served a 10-year apprenticeship learning how to make sausages and polony and, once in Johannesburg, established Wachenheimer’s, a successful family-run kosher butchery and food shop in Beit Street, Doornfontein.

On the night that the Nazis arrived to arrest Leo, the mayor of Biebesheim, who was a good friend of the family’s, arranged for Leo’s release. It was then that Leo decided that it was time to leave Germany.

Leo Wachenheimer wrote to Walter Weiler, a distant cousin of his who was already living in South Africa, and asked him to stand surety for his family. The family left Germany and travelled via London where they met with Max Wachenheimer and eventually travelled on the Winchester Castle to Cape Town arriving on 14 January 1936.

The family lived in Yeoville, Johannesburg, where they hosted many members of their family who had arrived in South Africa. Both Lottie and Sigi went to school in Doornfontein, after which Sigi went to trade school and qualified as an electrician before joining the family business. Lottie and her husband, Ralph Kramer (a pharmacist from Cape Town), also joined Wachenheimers. The family worked long hours and were famous for their smoked turkeys, which were much sought after.

In 1976 the Wachenheimers expanded their butchery to include a restaurant, which was known as the Nosh Bar, and Sigi opened another restaurant in Long Avenue, Glenhazel, called “Sigi’s”. Wachenheimers was the first firm to import Whirly Whip for making parev (dairy-free) ice creams into South Africa. The shops no longer exist but kosher pies are still made bearing the Wachenheimer name.

Leo Wachenheimer died in 1969. Minna lived with Lottie until she died in 1989.

Lottie and Ralph Kramer live in Johannesburg. They have one daughter, Robyn, who is married to Ivor Blumenthal and they have 3 children.

Sigi is married to Evelyn (néePoppert). They have 3 children Mark, Ashley and Claire who all live in Johannesburg.