TIMETABLE

1842

Carl Bernstein (1842–1894) was born on 13 January in Odessa to Elias Bernstein and Chaja Clara Bernstein (née Halberstamm). Carl’s mother died shortly after his birth, and his father soon remarried Emilie Bernstein (née Landau). Carl maintained a close relationship with his half-sister Therese Bernstein throughout his life.

1849

Felicie Rosenthal (1849–1908) was born on 19 September in Saint Petersburg as the only daughter of banker Leon Rosenthal and Sara Rosenthal (née Neumark).

Carl’s stepmother Emilie Bernstein was a descendant of the renowned Rabbi Ezekiel (Yechezkel) Landau, an authority on Halacha (Jewish law) and known as “Noda b’Yehudah,” the title of his most influential work.

1859

Carl completed his secondary education at the Latina in Halle an der Saale. He then began studying law in Heidelberg and Berlin.

1864

Carl earned his doctorate at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Berlin. He then returned to Russia and obtained a master’s degree in Russian civil law from the Imperial Russian University. However, he was not allowed to habilitate in Saint Petersburg, which prevented him from pursuing a university career in Russia.

Around 1865

Felicie Rosenthal was educated in Germany, where she attended the Pensionat Jung in Dresden. Shortly afterwards, she returned to her father in Saint Petersburg.

Felicie and Carl met in Saint Petersburg. Their engagement took place on 3 January 1871, and they married on 14 January 1872, in Vienna at the synagogue in Seitenstettengasse. The couple embarked on a months-long journey through Europe, visiting Venice, Florence, and Algiers. At the Vienna World Exhibition and in Italy, they purchased art and furniture for their future home in Berlin.

1873

The Bernsteins settled in Berlin and moved into their first apartment at Lennéstraße 2 in the Tiergarten district.

The area became a prestigious address for the upper middle class, with notable residents such as Adolph Menzel, Eduard Arnhold, Theodor Fontane, Paul Cassirer, the Oppenheim family, and Walther Rathenau. The Association of Berlin Artists (Verein Berliner Künstler), had its headquarters there, as did later the Berlin Secession (Berliner Secession).

1877

The couple moved to an apartment at In den Zelten 23, on the northern side of the Tiergarten. They lived there with Carl’s stepmother Emilie, his half-sister Therese, and their dog, Tjou-Tjou. An etching of the dog by Max Klinger is displayed here in the room.

The apartment was located on the second floor and spanned twelve heated rooms with a total area of nearly 400 square meters.

1878

Carl habilitated in Roman law and began teaching as a private lecturer.

1882

In the summer, Felicie and Carl undertook a trip to Paris, where they acquired their first French Impressionist paintings, guided and advised by Carl’s cousin Charles Ephrussi. Two of the artworks they brought back to Berlin were from Charles’s own collection.

The family connections to the Ephrussi family in Paris derive from Emilie’s sister Minna. One of Minna’s sons, Charles Ephrussi, was the editor of the renowned French art magazine Gazette des Beaux-Arts.

The music student Johanna von Rentzell became the “adoptive daughter” of the Bernsteins. After Johanna married the lawyer Andreas von Tuhr, they later travelled together with the Bernsteins to destinations such as the North Sea, Norderney, Sylt, Helgoland, the Engadin, the Italian lakes, and Florence.

1888

Carl was appointed as an associate professor at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität by the Ministry of Culture.

1891

Carl’s stepmother Emilie passed away on 2 February after a long illness.

1892

In October, Carl was compelled to resign from his professorship due to poor health. His deteriorating condition prompted the couple to dissolve their apartment at In den Zelten and to travel extensively.

They visited Paris, Cannes, Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee) in Switzerland, and Italy. Afterwards, they stayed only sporadically in Berlin, residing at the Hotel Kaiserhof on Wilhelmsplatz.

1894

Carl died in September at the age of 52 from blood poisoning. He was buried alongside Emilie at the Jewish Cemetery in Berlin-Weißensee.

1895

Therese and Felicie moved into an apartment at Stülerstraße 6 in Tiergarten. Even after Carl’s death, they continued hosting their salon.

1896

Felicie acquired additional impressionist works, as well as pieces by members of the Berlin Secession, the Dresden “Goppelner Schule”, and sculptor August Hudler. The two women traveled further to London and Scotland and visited the Paris World Exhibition with Georg Treu.

1902

Therese succumbed to cancer on 4 August.

Around 1903

Felicie traveled with Emma Dohme to Spitzbergen, Sicily, Pompeii, and North Africa. She also visited family in Paris, Switzerland, and the Côte d’Azur, where she met Carl’s cousin Theodore Reinach at his Villa Kerylos, designed in the style of ancient architecture.

Around 1906

Felicie supported Hugo von Tschudi with a donation of 25,000 marks to fund acquisitions for the National Gallery.

1907

Felicie established the Therese Bernstein Foundation to finance stipends for young German artists at the Villa Romana in Florence.

1908

Felicie passed away after a long illness at the age of 58. She was buried at the Jewish Cemetery in Berlin-Weißensee, near the graves of her husband and mother-in-law. In her will, Felicie directed that her valuable collection be distributed among her friends. The remaining estate was divided among acquaintances or sold so that the proceeds could be donated to charitable causes. Her estate was managed by Georg Treu and Andreas von Tuhr.

1938

Stülerstraße 6 was renamed Tiergartenstraße 43 by the National Socialist government. Today the street is called Thomas-Dehler-Straße.

1939

The property and house at Stülerstraße 6 were forcibly sold.

November 1943

The Bernsteins’ two residences, In den Zelten 23 and Tiergartenstraße 43, were destroyed during Allied bombings.

June 1956

The property at In den Zelten 23 was cleared, and the street name “In den Zelten” was erased. Today, the site of the former Bernstein residence is occupied by the Haus der Kulturen der Welt.