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We see a photograph of the the Szlifersztein with family on vacation in 1916. This was during World War I, but you can't tell by the photograph. The family looks rather prosperous. They are at Ahlbeck, a beach resort on the island of Uznam during 1916. The German spelling of the island is Usedom. It is an island in the Baltic Sea. At the time it was German territory and today it still is, although the present Polish border is only a few miles away. From left: Julia Szlifersztein her daughters Halinka and Zosia, Julia's nephew Janek, sister Apolonia Gurcman with Marysia Szlifersztein in her arms, Julia's husband Jakub. We assume that they are a Jewish family.
This Polish- Jewish family with the name Szlifersztein apparently insisted on a Polish spelling of their very Jewish-German name, Schlieferstein. Thus they seemed to identified themselves as Polish rather thn German.
We are guessing that the family were German citizens, probably living in the areas of Poland annexed by Prussia.
The War was still going well for the Germns in 1916, espeially on the Eastern Front. The image suggests that despite the War, resorts in Germany were still operating. The children wear sailor styled swim suits. This is interesting because of the Thomas Mannshort story, A Death in Venice. The boy in that story which takes place at a beach resort concerns aolish boy who wears a sailor suit. Poland did not yet exist as a country when this photograph was taken. This photograph was taken during Wotld Sar I. Poland was a major battlefield of the War in 1914 and 15. The Germans by 1916 has conquered most of Poland. I am not sure if Uznam was in German hands at the beginning of the War, but it would have been in 1916 when this photograph was taken. Families like this with Polish identities had a chouce after Wotld war I, they could keep their German citzenship or becomes citizens of the new Polish state. Some Poles applied for Polish passports, but contibued to live in Germany.
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