The Salder Castle Municipal Museum is displaying a coat hanger, a gift from Salder citizens, in a new display case. The piece is a simple advertising object of the kind given to countless stores in the 20th century. However, the inscription "S. Kleeblatt, Salder" takes us back to the reign of terror of the National Socialists (1933 to 1945), which also destroyed the life of a family from Salder.

The members of the German-Jewish Kleeblatt family were respected, successful merchants. The siblings Salomon and Henriette Kleeblatt came to Salder at the end of the 19th century. In the living room of their small apartment in Bahnhofstraße, which was used as a shop, you could buy sewing supplies and fabrics. The lettering "S. Kleeblatt" probably referred to Salomon. The siblings ran the business with their spouses.

The family business was successful, and in 1894 a large residential and commercial building was built at Gänsebleek 13. In the course of time, two adopted sons joined the family. The expanded product range now also included bed linen, curtains and haberdashery. However, the good times came to an abrupt end when the National Socialists came to power in 1933. The villagers boycotted the business and physical violence was inflicted on a family member. At the end of 1935, the Kleeblatts finally gave up their business and left Salder. Most of the immediate family members were murdered in German concentration camps. Only three survived the Shoah: Gretel, Walter and their nephew Werner Hirsch.

The history of the Kleeblatts is documented in the book "Gretel's Albums: The History of the German-Jewish Kleeblatt Family from Salder", written by Dena Rueb Romero and Bernhild Vögel and now available online. Since 2021, seven "Stolpersteine" in front of the former home on Gänsebleek have also commemorated the family.

In the Salder Castle Municipal Museum, the inconspicuous coat hanger is now helping to ensure that the Kleeblatts are not forgotten here either. It can now be viewed barrier-free in the current display case at the entrance to the "Cowshed" special exhibition area.

Opening hours of the Salder Castle Municipal Museum: Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm.