![]() In the Musee Nissim Camondo, on the top floor, is a letter from her ex-husband telling Beatrice to leave Paris with their son and daughter. ![]() Divorced from her Jewish husband Leon Reinach, she believed her wealth and the influential people she rode horses with in the Parc Monceau would shield her from being taken. Can you please direct me to a website with more information about Beatrice de Camondo's religion? According to Wikipedia, which is admittedly not the best source, she converted to Catholicism:Ī convert to Catholicism, Beatrice Camondo Reinach felt safe in Paris after the Nazi occupation. In this case, I didn't because the guide has a Ph.D in art history and always does a lot of research prior to her tours. ![]() Usually, I fact check what guides say because they occasionally have their facts wrong. It's something that the guide told us when we visited the museum. As it has been awhile since I wrote this post, I had to go back and check my notes about Beatrice's conversion to Catholicism. His only stipulations were that the house was to be maintained as a museum named for his beloved son and that all of the objects should be left where he originally placed them. When his only son and remaining male heir to the family fortune, Nissim, was killed in an air battle in 1917, Moïse bequeathed his mansion and collection to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs after his death in 1935. In 1868, the Camondos transferred their holdings to Paris, where Count Moïse de Camondo acquired one of the world's finest collections of 18th century French furniture and artwork. As their fortune increased, the family made significant contributions to education and public service in Constantinople, for which they are still recognized. To truly appreciate this gem of a museum and its exceptional collection of 18th century French decorative arts and furnishings, it's crucial to know a bit about the history of the Sepharadic Jewish family, known as the Rothschilds of the East, who left their sumptuously furnished mansion to the French government.Īfter fleeing Spain in 1492, the Camondos established themselves in Venice before moving to Constantinople (Istanbul) and became bankers to the grand vizirs of the Ottoman Empire. What was most sobering about this statement is that we were standing in the bedroom of Nissim, who was killed while fighting for France in World War I and whose sister, Béatrice, died in Auschwitz on January 4, 1945. So, it didn't come as much of a surprise when our guide concluded the tour of the Nissim de Camondo museum yesterday by telling us that some French people still wouldn't want to give their child a Hebrew name. ![]() ![]() Michael - doesn't sound good in French Brandon - too American David - too Jewish, a comment that was also made about Joshua, Daniel, Joseph and any other names associated with the Old Testament. As we crossed potential baby names off our list, friends and family asked about the remaining possibilities and offered their opinions. Twenty-two years ago, my stomach was growing on a daily basis - not because I was eating loads of milk chocolate in Switzerland but because I was pregnant with our son. Leon Reinach were deported in 1943-1944 and died in Auschwitz. Leon Reinach born Beatrice de Camondo her children Fanny and Bertrand Reinach the last descendants of the benefactor and Mr. ![]()
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