Max Strauß came from a long-established, widely branched Jewish family in Geroda. He was born there on October 6, 1882 as the son of the cattle dealer Rafael Strauß and his wife Elise, née Katz.

In 1911, the young wholesale merchant of wine married Bad Kissingen-born Johanna Hamburger in Munich where she also moved after the wedding. Their first child Nelly was born there in 1912. In 1919, the family returned to their Franconian home region and lived in Bad Kissingen in Kurhausstrasse. There, Max Strauß opened a “Wein- und Spirituosengeschaft” (wine and spirits shop) in “Villa Liberta”. In 1923, their son Rudi was born. What is known about their next years is only that the family moved to Salinenstrasse 29 in 1929. Max Strauß and his wife stayed in Germany after the seizure of power of the National Socialists because they couldn’t believe that the situation might become dangerous for them.

After their daughter Nelly had emigrated to the United States in 1936, her parents decided in August 1938 to escape to New York with their 15-year-old son Rudi.

Max Strauß died in New York in August 1957 at the age of 74, his wife died there in December 1964.