Erika Busse was born October 20, 1911. She attended various schools in Bavaria and Berlin. In 1929 she began studies at the Kaufmannische Privatschule. While working for one of Berlin's largest pharmacies she studied for her Abitur, and in 1931 began university studies in pharmacy. In 1933 she passed her first pharmacist exam but was forced to leave the university. At this point she became interested in immigrating to Iran and took classes in Persian. In 1935 she left for Tehran, where she would live for the next ten years. Due to the prevailing conditions in the country she could only find work as a secretary during this time. At some point while living in Iran she met the lawyer Hans Grossmann.
Hans S. Grossmann was born August 26, 1902, the second son of Eugen and Gertrud (née Duritz) Grossmann. He studied law and received his doctoral degree in Leipzig in 1924. In 1947 the couple married and went on to have one daughter. By the 1950s they had immigrated to the United States, where they settled in New York City.
From the guide to the Grossmann Family Collection, 1924-1998, bulk 1950-1975, (Leo Baeck Institute)
