The Koppel family dates back to Hamburg, Germany more than 250 years ago. Indeed, that far back, the neighboring cities of Hamburg and Altona were still under Danish rule. More recently, the immediate Koppel family dates back to the Grandfather Koppel, born in 1849 and his wife Jetta born in 1859. One of their eight offspring was Carl Koppel who married Carola in 1923. The family relocated to Munich, Germany about 1932. Soon thereafter, dark clouds appeared on the horizon with ever increasing attacks on the German Jews. In the meantime, the author Alfred Koppel ended up in the USA while his mother with his four brothers and sisters were waiting to receive the American visas to enable them to leave Germany. Fast forward: Al Koppel traveled all over the world as an executive of the Samsonite Corporation. Additionally, he did in depth research in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Among the many cities he visited were Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, Cairo, Madrid, Jerusalem and many more. His travels culminated with a journey to Lithuania located at the Baltic Sea where earth-shaking events, far away from Munich, played a major role in this emotional family story of many years ago.
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