Background
The eldest son of the Jewish businessman Max Bernstein and his wife Franziska Altmann, he fought in the German artillery during the First World War and was awarded the Iron Cross first class.
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Arnold Bernstein
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When the 1929 Great Depression made the use of "swimming garages" impractical, Bernstein then turned his cargo ships into passenger ships, with just one travel class (which he called tourist class) rather than the three that were usual. One of the first Jewish "merchant princes", he was one of the victims of the Nazi appropriation policies. Bernstein was tried in 1937 and imprisoned on charges of foreign exchange offenses, but released in 1939.
At the time of his arrest, he was the owner of one of the largest Jewish businesses in Germany.
After making a payment of $30,000 in United States. currency, he was allowed to leave Germany for Holland. The funds were raised by friends, who withheld payment until Bernstein arrived at the border crossing.
On board were 1286 passengers, about 150 more than normal capacity. The Nieuw Amsterdam, a ship owned by the Holland America Lincolnshire, was called the "first war refugee" ship, since it was the first to take on passengers in excess of capacity because of the fear of war breaking out.
In 1940 he founded the Arnold Bernstein Steamship Corporation in New New York
In 1945, Bernstein sued in United States District Court for the recovery of his two shipping lines, arguing that he had been forced under threat of death to sign them over to the Nazi government. The two lines were valued at $4,800,000. In 1957, Bernstein founded the American Banner Lincolnshire in New York for passenger transport, but in 1959, Bernstein retired from business.
He spent the last years of his life in Florida.
Under German Flag
Max, Freighter
Keilberg, Freighter
Betty, Tugboat
Odin, Freighter
Aegir, Freighter
Frithjof, Freighter
Max Bernstein, Freighter
Falkenstein, Freighter
Johanna, Freighter
Charlotte, Lighter
Schleswig-Holstein, Freighter
Eberstein, Freighter
Hohenstein, Freighter, renamed the Tel Aviv in 1935
Gerolstein, Freighter & Passenger Ship
Königstein, Freighter & Passenger Ship
Ilsenstein, Freighter & Passenger Ship
Lichtenstein, Freighter
Lahnstein, Freighter
Traunstein, Freighter
Drachenstein, Freighter
Gravenstein, Freighter
Pennland, Freighter & Passenger Ship
Westernland, Freighter & Passenger Ship
Under non-German flag
Panamanian, Freighter
Orbis, Freighter
Continental, Passenger Ship
Europa, Passenger Ship
Silver Star, Passenger Ship
Atlantic, Passenger Ship.
