Names Not Numbers

Lisa Baer

Frankfurt, Germany

In Hiding

1926

Lisa Baer

Frankfurt, Germany

1926

Lisa Baer (née Stern) was born on December 10, 1926, in Frankfurt, Germany. She grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family and lived in a Jewish neighborhood. On November 9-10, 1938, during Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass, a couple of Nazis entered the Stern family home. Lisa’s mother, Esther, a widow, boldly approached one of the Nazis and, with remarkable courage.

She placed her hand on him, pleading, "You can destroy whatever you want, but don’t go upstairs and hurt my elderly parents." Remarkably, the Nazis complied, breaking the curio cabinet, a few dishes, and stealing Lisa’s late father’s Iron Cross, which he had earned for his service in World War I.

In the aftermath of Kristallnacht, Esther began making arrangements for her family to escape Nazi Germany.

After years of effort and countless visits to consulates, the Sterns managed to flee via Lisbon, eventually arriving in the United States in December 1940. Once in the U.S., the family settled in Washington Heights, where Lisa attended school. She later worked as a dressmaker and an arts and crafts teacher in Jewish day schools and Hebrew schools.

In 1951, Lisa met her future husband, Manfred Baer, who, like her, had also been born in Frankfurt.

He had emigrated to the U.S. in 1936 and had served as a "Ritchie Boy" during World War II. After they married, Lisa and Manfred had two children, Myron and Sandy.

Today, Lisa resides in Riverdale and continues to share her story with others. Recently, she reached out to the Museum with the intent of donating her collection of documents, ensuring that her story will be preserved and shared for generations to come.

The Museum, an actively collecting institution, values visits from individuals like Lisa, as these encounters ensure the preservation of personal objects that honor individual stories and help us to never forget.

Names Not Numbers

Lisa Baer

Lisa Baer

The End