Martin Igersheimer was born on March 25, 1894, in Amberg, Upper Palatinate, the son of banker Sigmund Igersheimer and his wife Rosa, née Weilheim. He was married to Marie, née Weber, who was born on May 28, 1898, in Berneck, Fichtelgebirge. The couple had a son born in 1924.
After graduating from high school there, he began studying economics in Frankfurt am Main, which he abandoned after the third semester due to the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. He enlisted as a war volunteer and joined the Nassau Field Artillery Regiment. After the end of the war in 1918, Martin Igersheimer did not continue his studies, as he stated that he wanted to pursue a career in banking. Until 1924, he was employed by the Frankfurt private bank "de Neufville." He then switched to the insurance industry and took over the management of the Frankfurt branch of Deutsche Krankenversicherungs AG in 1927.
In May 1936, Martin Igersheimer was dismissed by his employer, Deutsche Krankenversicherungs AG. His wife described this period vividly in a document. She explained that her husband had been subjected to severe harassment, surveillance, and persecution due to his prominent position as branch manager. The family's home was searched for incriminating material. Igersheimer's wife was viciously insulted as an "Aryan" because she did not want to separate from her husband. As his health deteriorated over time, Martin Igersheimer pushed ahead with his emigration in order to save his life and that of his family. With only 16 boxes of belongings, Martin Igersheimer emigrated to Brazil on April 28, 1938. His wife and son followed him on October 14, 1938. Igersheimer's mother also managed to flee to Brazil in April 1939.
In Brazil, Martin Igersheimer initially worked as a laborer and then, until 1947, as technical manager of a small company specializing in prefabricated building components. His salary there was modest. In October 1952, a report about the "Casa week-end de Martin Igersheimer" appeared in a Brazilian magazine. However, after moving to Brazil, his health deteriorated rapidly. Several serious illnesses severely limited his mobility. Martin Igersheimer died on July 30, 1959, in Sao Paulo, where he is also buried. We do not yet have any detailed information about the further lives of his wife and son. However, there are still Igersheimers living in Sao Paulo today.
Martin Igersheimer joined the Frankfurt am Main section in 1924. There are no records of his activities in the association. No evidence of his resignation or expulsion from the association has been found to date, so it remains unclear how long he was a member of the Frankfurt section.
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