Dr, Pink Philipp Münz: Die Israelitische Kinderheilstätte Bad Kissingen, 1928

I. General introduction
 

In no other humanitarian field have so many fruitful and beneficial institutions been created in the last ten years as in the field of public child and youth welfare. Certainly the children's sanatoriums, in which sick and weak children, mostly from the poorer classes, are given back the most precious goods of youth, health and vitality, are the most important monument to this care. And probably in no other country has the children's sanatorium system flourished and developed to such an extent as in Germany, which, with its more than 200 children's sanatoriums, including ten Israelite institutions, ranks first among all countries in the world. Among these institutions, the Israelite children's sanatorium in Bad Kissingen, which now benefits 400 poor and sick children from all parts of Germany every year, occupies an outstanding position thanks to its facilities and beneficial activities.

II. History of the institution

On June 12, 1905, at a time when there were only four Jewish institutions in Germany, the Israelite children's sanatorium in Bad Kissingen was ceremoniously opened. Of course, the beginning of its history goes back even further. As early as 1899, the initiative to establish an Israelite children's sanatorium in Bad Kissingen, which is famous for its healing springs, came from Dr. P. Münz, a medical  „Sanitätsrat". After overcoming great difficulties, and after Dr. Münz had established a basis for the planned institution by collecting a large sum of money, his zealous propaganda succeeded in promoting the work to such an extent that the “Israelite Children's Sanatorium in Bad Kissingen” association was established in 1901...

The institution developed rapidly and the number of children admitted grew from year to year. While only 62 children were admitted in the opening year - admittedly in the short time available - there were 112 in the following year, 127 in 1907/1908, 140 in 1909, 169 in 1910 and even 200 in 1912, until the number grew to 310 in 1925.
In order to meet the increased demands, the institution was expanded in various years by extending existing interior rooms, until in 1926... a larger new building was created, which harmoniously adjoined the existing building and, in addition to an extension of the veranda, contained two large dormitories and two smaller living rooms, so that in 1926 and 1927 almost 400 children could be accommodated.
On 30 May 1926, the association celebrated its 25th anniversary in the presence of representatives of state and municipal authorities as well as numerous organizations and communities.
The World War also left its mark on the quiet, peaceful operation of the institution. In the years 1914-1917, the institution served wounded and sick soldiers as a war hospital. Despite this, the institution continued to operate during these years in rented rooms, primarily for war children, in response to the needs of the time.

III. Girls' convalescent home for adult working girls and women

In order to counteract the increasing social hardship in the post-war period, the association expanded its sphere of activity in 1920, primarily by enabling working, destitute girls in need of a cure in Bad Kissingen to take a cure in Bad Kissingen by granting them sufficient subsidies and benefits. The aim of the association is to raise the necessary funds for this important purpose in order to build its own girls' convalescent home. So far, the association has provided adequate support for more than 250 girls from all walks of life...

IV. The institution building and its furnishings

The institution, situated halfway to the salt works on a small hill with a view of the wooded mountain ranges of the Rhön and the Saale river flowing past in the valley, surrounded by beautiful gardens and playgrounds, is an extremely tasteful Renaissance-style sandstone building. In the basement there is a large kitchen (the so-called meat kitchen) and a smaller so-called dairy kitchen with adjoining rooms, a dumbwaiter, ironing rooms, pantries and an apartment for the janitor. The mezzanine floor contains the doctor's waiting and consulting room together with an operating room, a large dining room, a covered veranda (now enlarged), two rooms for the matron, several bathing cubicles, as well as the necessary toilets and washing facilities for the children. The first floor consists of two separate bedrooms, four large dormitories, one for children aged 5-10 and one for children aged 10-16, with adjoining balconies, a nurses' room between the dormitories and the toilets. On the second floor, there are four large dormitories in addition to staff and floor rooms. The wardrobes for the children are located in the wide corridors. The institution is connected to the municipal water supply and sewage system, and all rooms have plenty of water flowing in and out, the marble washbasins for the children in the dormitories are equipped with hot and cold water supply pipes. The institution also has its own brine supply for baths in the building. Outside the institution building are the boiler house, the brine reservoir, the laundry and the recreation room. The furnishings of the rooms appear practical and yet very dignified and meet the most extensive requirements of modern hygiene in all areas. The floors of the corridors, kitchens and toilets are covered with stone slabs, the floors of the dormitories and other rooms with linoleum and concrete carpet pad, the walls are partly covered with simple or brown glazed tiles, partly with wood paneling or oil paint. Light, air and sun flood all the rooms. Everywhere, loving care has been taken to delight children's hearts and make the institution a pleasant place to relax.
 

V. Which children are admitted

The institution, built on a Jewish religious basis, primarily admits children of the Jewish faith from all over the German Reich - children of other confessions are also considered - girls aged 5-16 years and boys aged 5-14 years who need a cure in Bad Kissingen ... to restore their health. The main illnesses considered are therefore: scrophulosis, rickets, anaemia, stomach and intestinal disorders, heart infections, nervousness, nervous disorders, rheumatoid arthritis or other developmental and growth disorders, as the following statistics show, which show the 393 children treated in 1927 and almost the same picture as in previous years.

VI. Treatment of the children and healing successes

Soon after their arrival, the children are examined by the institution's doctors after they have had a cleansing bath in the institution and special attention has been paid to cleaning their heads. On the basis of this examination, the plan of treatment for each individual child is given to the matron in charge. The treatment itself is strictly individual in all cases and, in addition to a strengthening, varied and strictly ritualistic diet, which is always adapted to the condition, consists of brine baths and drinking cures, the administration of medication and physical treatment, including high-altitude sunlight. The children spend almost the entire day outdoors and take daily walks to the nearby forest or salt works, singing amusing songs. Games and entertainment and a small library offer plenty of variety, so that the most spoiled children soon forget their homesickness. The healing results achieved in the institution can be described as excellent and are living proof of the beneficial activities of the institution. The successes are expressed not only in an often considerable increase in weight, an increased desire to eat and an improvement in strength and general mood, but also in a cure or improvement of the underlying condition. Medical advice has been provided by Dr. P. Münz since the establishment of the institution and, together with him, Dr. Alfred Münz, who lives outside the institution and comes to the institution several times a week for visits and checks. The economic management is in the hands of the proven matron Julie Strauß, the economic control since the establishment of the institution is in the hands of Dr. P. Münz. The children enter the institution sick and infirm and leave invigorated and revitalized. If we include the year 1928, the institution has so far bestowed these blessings on 5300 children from all parts of Germany.

^{[Final remark: Dr. Pinkus Philipp Münz' extraordinary achievement also consisted of creating a financial basis for the children's sanatorium. The funds required for maintenance and upkeep were only covered to a small extent - in 1927 it was about a quarter - by the children's boarding fees, as only very few children paid the cost price and all others were admitted at reduced prices or completely free of charge. This meant that 3/4 of the annual budget had to be raised through donations and membership fees. The “Verein Israelitische Kinderheilstätte Bad Kissingen e.V.”, founded by Dr. Münz in 1901, played a major role in this, with 2570 members from 206 towns in 1913. A huge network of members and donors spread throughout Germany ensured the financing of the facility].}

Source: Quelle: Jüdische Gemeindearchive in Bayern,  CAHJP, Israelitische Kinderheilstätte Bad Kissingen D-Ba4-2, Blatt 113 -124]

^{The historical Jewish community archives from Bavaria have recently been made available online, including those of the Jewish community of Bad Kissingen and the Bad Kissingen District Rabbinate.  The original documents are currently located in the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People (CAHJP) in Jerusalem. The digitized documents are accessible to everyone on the Bavarian State Archives' finding aid database. For historians, Jewish communities, family researchers and interested citizens from all over the world, this is an inexhaustible treasure trove for researching Jewish history.}