Born '' ' Curt Löwenstein ' '' in the East Prussian town of Allenstein ( now Olsztyn , Poland ) , his father was a respected lawyer , and his mother was active with several local Jewish community organizations . His father 's career declined due to loss of clients after the Nazis ' takeover of Germany , so the family moved to Berlin hoping that the city 's large Jewish community could provide more protection . Young Curt continued to receive an education and to prepare for his bar mitzvah under the guidance of Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky of the Fasanenstrasse Synagogue . After the violence of Kristallnacht ( also known as the November Pogrom ) in November 1938 , the Nazis closed his school . In early 1939 , Lowens received his bar mitzvah in a school auditorium with 34 other youths
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Curt Lowens