LIFE

Otto Heineman was the brother-in-law of Max Straus(s), which means he was either:
- Max Strauss' sister's husband
- Max Strauss' wife's brother

30 Nov 1902: Founder of Salon-Kinematograph Co. GmbH (with Heinrich Zunz en Max Strauss)

17 May 1906 Heinemann registers as member of Verband der deutschen Sprechmaschinen-Industrie: his address Brückenstrasse 13a Berlin SW 13 (PhZ 7/21/456)


Visited USA with Recha (Heinemann) on 27 July 1909


Otto HEINEMANN
born: 20 December 1876 (WWI Draft Registration Cards)
or .... January 1877, Lüneburg, GERMANY.
died: ........ 1965

Recha HEINEMANN
born: 1880, Frankfurt a. Main, GERMANY
died: ............ (post Oct. 1953)

Place of residence: Berlin.

Otto Heineman, president of General Industries, [Elyria] Ohio, and General Phongraph Corp., New York, appeared in The Talking Machine World, Dec. 15, 1922, p. 93 (courtesy Horst Weggler) (source: www.capsnews.org/apn2007-6....)

On WWI Draft Registration Cards (1930 Manhattan):

31 March 1931: Otto leaves firm. Okeh moves to Columbia office, 1776 Broadway

Otto Heineman, President Phonograph Supply Company

1930 FEDERAL CENSUS:
Otto Heineman (52y)
Recha Heineman (50y)
Manhattan, New York

Relevant articles in the New York Times
(1) Oct. 6, 1919: Phonograph Combination
(2) May 8, 1917: New Incorporation
(3) August 17, 1965: Obituary Otto Heineman(n)?
(4) Sept. 14, 1965: Obituary Otto Heineman(n)?


movements of Otto HEINEMANN/HEINEMAN

The HEINEMANN couple visited the USA in 1909 (for the first time?) as tourists:

Otto HEINEMAN (32) Direktor
+ Recha (29)
SS "KRONPRINZ WILHELM"
20 July 1909, Bremen
27 July 1909, New York
own home: Martin Lutherstrasse 78, Berlin
place of birth (Otto): Lüneburg
place of birth (Recha): Frankfurt a. Main
SEE ALSO: die Sprechmaschine No. 26, p. 728

Berlin. Beka-Record Aktiengesellschaft. Zum Vorstandsmitgliede ist ernannt der Kaufmann Herr Max Strauss und der Kaufmann Otto Heinemann. (PhZ 11. Jahrg. No. 39, p. 884)

Beka-Record Akt. Ges. Berlin. Die Herren Heinemann und Straus, Direktoren der Lindström-Gesellschaft, die bei Gelegenheit der Fusion Lindström-Beka in das Direktorium der Beka eingetreten waren, sind nunmehr aus der Direktion der Beka-Gesellschaft wieder ausgeschieden, um demnächst in den Aufsichtsrat gewählt werden zu konnen. (PhZ 12. Jahrg. No. 39, p. 896)

Berlin. Beka-Record Aktiengesellschaft. Der Kaufmann Herr Max Strauss und der Kaufmann Otto Heinemann sind nicht mehr Vorstandsmitglieder. (PhZ 11. Jahrg. No. 39, p. 884)


Otto Heinemann did not reach America: he was taken off by a British ship and interned in England for a short time. He was exchanged for an interned Englishman in Germany but did not return to Germany: he arrived in 1915 in New York.

van Oirschot has a different version:
Heinemann was on his way back from USA to Germany on the SS "OCEANIC".
On 8 August he arrived at Southampton and was detained/interned
PhZ 16/2/10 (18 Feb 1915): Lindström in Amerika
from: Talking Machine World No. 1 (15 Jan 1915)

ELLIS ISLAND has Heinemann going twice to USA in 1914.
I guess he was interned on his second voyage (21 Nov - arr. 27 Nov.(?) but prob. later in Jan 1915
No, Frank Andrews mentions the SS "OCEANIC"



Otto HEINEMANN (37y/5m) Director
SS "IMPERATOR"
17 June 1914, Hamburg
24 June 1914, New York
Occupation: Director
Apparently Heinemann returned to Germany (after the outbreak of World War I?).
Otto was going to see his brother:
Adolf Heineman, New York
314 West 100th Str.., New York
relative in Germany:
Frau R. [=Recha] Heinemann, Schlüterstr. 36, Charlottenburg

Late June Serajevo assassination.
1 Aug Germany - Russia etc. etc.
On 4 August 1914 England declares war against Germany.

On 8 Aug 1914 on board of the "OCEANIC" (???) on his way to America he is arrested in Southampton and interned in England. He did not return to Germany but left England on 21 Nov. from Liverpool (source Bennett en van E. M. van Oirschot, # 8 (Lindström), p. 231)

----------------------

Otto HEINEMANN
SS "OCEANIC"
Departure: ?
-----------------------
Otto arrested and detained in England until November



Otto HEINEMANN (37y/11m) Managing Director
SS "LUSITANIA"
21 November 1914, Liverpool
27 November 1914, New York
Occupation: Managing Director
Astor Hotel, New York

According to Frank Andrews (A Fonotipia Fragmentia, p. 44 & 52 booklet) Heinemann sailed for America in December 1914)
Otto Ruhl, 77 City Road, London

During his first or second 1914 America trip he was interned in England for a short time, later exchanged for an in Germany interned Englishman. Did not return to Germany but went to USA in 1915(?) (source: Smetana, J. R. Bennett, p. 41)

On his Declaration of Intention it says that Otto Heineman arrived at the port of New York on 24 June 1914 on board of the SS "IMPERATOR"


Interview with Otto Heinemann:

European Manufacturer a Visitor
A notable visitor in Chicago at the present time is Otto Heinemann, a director of the Carl Lindström Co., of Berlin, one of the largest of European manufacturers of talking machine and records, controlling a number of different companies. While in Chicago he is the guest of his brother, Oscar Heinemann, head of the large silk house of the Oscar Heinmann Co.
Mr. Heinemann came to America in December after having been detained in London for three months on account of the war. He was finally lucky enough to get a permit to leave England for the United States and will probably remain here until the war is over. He is making a general investigation of conditions in this country, and is now on a trip which will take him to San Francisco, visiting centers both on his way out and on his return to New York.
"We are not attempting to do much in America right now," said Mr. Heinemann. "The high wages, high prices of materials and the great difficulty of shipping goods from Germany, all due to the war, militates against our doing an export trade at present. However, there is a field, I am certain, for our lower priced machines in America, and we hope to do considerable business with you after the war is over. The various interests controlled by our company have had some tragic experiences since the war began. Our French factory, that of the Compagnie Français Odeon, was burned on August 2 [1914] by the Paris mob. Our Russian factory at Warsaw was closed, and the two civil engineers in charge sent to Siberia as prisoners of war.
As may be readily understood, the talking machine business in the belligerent countries is very much depressed. The sole exception being England. There the factories are quite busy, owing to the fact that business is less demoralized than in the Continental countries, and also because of the practical elimination of Continental competition both in their own country and in the overseas trade. The factory of the Carl Lindström Co. at Hertford was very busy when I left England both on records and to a lesser degree on machines. The sales of records in England have not felt the effect of the war as much as machines. The sale of patriotic records is, in fact, immense."
Mr. Heinemann spoke very highly of the talking machine business in the United States, the wonderful organizations of the big companies, their marvelously effective selling and advertising plans and the price maintenance system also eliciting his sincere admiration.
(in: The Talking Machine World of 15 Jan 1915, p. 43) online

Recha HEINEMAN (36y / sister Dr. Hessdorfer, Frankfurt a. Main)
SS "FREDERIK VIII"
11 May 1916, Copenhagen
23 May 1916, New York



In June 1920 Otto Heineman applies for a passport (urgent business in England, Holland and Switzerland)
He plans to leave on 3 July 1920 on board the SS "MONGOLIA"



Otto HEINEMAN 43y
+ Redia (sic = Recha) (41y)
SS "KAISERIN AUGUSTE VICTORIA"
31 August 1920, Liverpool
9 September 1920, New York
Hotel Majestic NY City



Otto HEINEMAN (44y)
+ Recha (41y)
SS "ORDUNA"
20 August 1921, Hamburg
2 September 1921, New York
New York, Hotel Majestic



Otto HEINEMAN (44y)
SS "AQUITANIA"
dep.: .........
arr.: 7 Apr 1922, New York



Otto HEINEMANN (45y)
+ Recha (42y)
SS "GEORGE WASHINGTON"
24 May 1922, Bremen
2 June 1922, New York
25 West 45th St. New York City



Otto HEINEMAN (46y)
+ Recha (42y)
SS "BERENGARIA"
20 January 1923, Cherbourg (via Southampton)
27 Jan 1923, New York
25 West 45th St. New York City



Otto HEINEMAN (47y)
+ Recha (44y)
SS "MAJESTIC"
2 January 1924, Southampton
10 January 1924, New York
Hotel Majestic, New York City, NY



Otto HEINEMANN (47y)
+ Recha (44y)
SS "COLUMBUS
16 August 1924, Bremen
24 August 1924, New York
Hotel Majestic, New York


On all these trips Otto was accompanied by his wife Recha Heinemann.
From 1920 to 1924 Otto and Recha stayed at the Hotel "Majestic" (NY City)



Otto HEINEMAN (48y)
+ Recha (45y)
SS "RELIANCE"
25 August 1925, Hamburg
3 September 1925, New York
315 Central Park West, New York, NY



Otto HEINEMAN (49y)
+ Recha (47y)
SS "MAURETANIA"
18 September 1926, Cherbourg
24 September 1926, New York
315 Central Park West, New York, NY



Otto HEINEMAN (50y)
+ Recha (47y)
SS "MAURETANIA"
17 September 1927, Cherbourg
22 September 1927, New York
25 West 45th St. New York City, NY



Otto HEINEMAN (51y)
+ Recha (49y)
SS "AQUITANIA"
dep.: 9 July 1928, New York
arr.: ....................



Otto HEINEMAN (51y)
+ Recha (49y)
SS "RESOLUTE"
19 September 1928, Southampton
27 September 1928, New York
315 Central Park West, New York, NY



Otto HEINEMAN (51y)
+ Recha (49y)
SS "MAJESTIC"
18 December 1928, Southampton
25 December 1928, New York
315 Central Park West, New York, NY



Otto HEINEMAN (52y)
+ Recha (50y)
..................
11 September 1929, Southampton
17 September 1929, New York
315 Central Park West, New York, NY



Otto HEINEMAN
+ Recha
2 April 1930
...................



Otto HEINEMAN
+ Recha
SS "PAN AMERICA"
5 Sept 1930, Hamilton, Bermuda
9 Sept 1930, Hoboken, New Jersey
315 Central Park West, New York City, NY

In April 1920 Otto & Recha were naturalized



Otto HEINEMAN (59y)
+ Recha (61y)
SS "PARIS"
24 September 1938, Havre
1 October 1938, New York
Address in USA: Chase National Bank, Madison Ave., New York City



Otto HEINEMAN (75y)
Recha (73y)
SS "NIEUW AMSTERDAM"
7 October 1952, Southampton
14 October 1952, New York
25 E. 86th St. NYC
(are the dates correct?)



Otto HEINEMAN (76y)
+ Recha (74y)
SS "ILE DE FRANCE"
6 October 1953, LeHavre
13 October 1953, New York
25 E. 86th St. NYC



Otto HEINEMAN (77y)
+ Recha (75y)
SS "ILE DE FRANCE"
28 Sep 1954, LeHavre
4 October 1954, New York
25 E. 86th St. NYC


Between 1960 and 1965 Otto Heineman seems to have been interviewed by Archie Green (Hilbilly Music: Source & Symbol in: Journal of American Folklore 78: Jul-Sep 1965, 204-228)