Lina Lisel Besmann was born on July 15, 1908, in Mensfelden. She grew up with her parents, Albert and Johanna Besmann (née Lichtenstein), and her two younger siblings, Hans-Herbert (born 1913) and Margot (born 1923), in her hometown.

Since the unmarried Lina Lisel was expecting a child, she was admitted to the Neu-Isenburg Home of the Jewish Women's Association in mid-December 1928. Three months later she gave birth to her daughter Hannelore in the Jewish hospital in Frankfurt on March 17, 1929. It wasn’t known whether Mother and daughter stayed in “Heim Isenburg" after birth. Lina Lisel gave her daughter up for adoption. Hannelore was adopted by Solomon and Jenny Marchand from Hamminkeln on July 10, 1931.

Lina Lisel Besmann fled to England on March 6, 1939. Her sister Margot followed her after a short time; her brother had migrated to South America in 1936. Albrecht Besmann died in Mainz under the stress of persecution in early 1942. Johanna Besmann was deported on March 25, 1942, from Mainz into the ghetto Piaski. Also, Lina Lisel Besmanns daughter did not survive this. She was deported along with her adoptive parents on December 11, 1941, from Düsseldorf to the Riga ghetto.

Lina Lisel Besmann died in Manchester in 1994.

The entry was compiled with information which was kindly provided by Markus Streb, Mensfelden.

Other sources: Gedenkbuch des Bundesarchiv - Opfer der Verfolgung der Juden unter der nationalsozialistischen Gewaltherrschaft in Deutschland 1933-1945: https://www.bundesarchiv.de/gedenkbuch/ (opens in a new tab); Familienbuch Euregio: http://familienbuch-euregio.e (opens in a new tab)u: