Fraenkel, Marta, 1896-1976

Marta Fraenkel was born in Cologne on September 19, 1896, the daughter of Georg and Therese (née Epstein) Fraenkel. Following the death of their parents, she and her younger brother Ernst went to live with their maternal uncle Josef Epstein in Frankfurt am Main, where they completed their educations. Her brother Ernst would later become a lawyer, author and political scientist.

Marta Fraenkel studied medicine in Bonn and Frankfurt, receiving her medical degree from the University of Frankfurt in 1923. Following her studies she entered public service, holding various positions in research, advisement and consulting capacities. From 1924-1927 she worked as scientific secretary at the GeSoLei ( Große Ausstellung für Gesundheitspflege, soziale Fürsorge und Leibesübungen ) in Düsseldorf in 1926. From 1928-1933 she was director of the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum in Dresden. While in Dresden she met the editor of the Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten, Theodor Schulze. In 1931 they married; four years later they divorced.

In 1935 Marta Fraenkel left Germany for Brussels, where she worked at the National Belgian Cancer League ( Ligue nationale Belge centre le Cancer ) until her immigration to New York City in 1938. There she worked in various capacities, including for the Welfare Council from 1938-1944. She lived briefly in Washington, D.C. and was a medical advisor for the Social Security administration there from 1944-1947. Returning to New York, she was research director for the Survey on Cerebral Palsy from 1948-1949. From 1953 on she was a statistical consultant for the Metropolitan Sanatorium Conference in New York. She also contributed various articles for professional journals. She died in New York City on August 8, 1976.

In her honor an exhibition room was named after her at the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum in Dresden.

From the guide to the Marta Fraenkel Collection, 1890-1968, bulk 1945-1950, (Leo Baeck Institute)