The Psychogenealogst Pic of the Week (#86) - A 1929 Birthday Party in Germany

Every Friday The Psychogenealogist shares a "Pic of the Week." The intent is to encourage thought and imagination about the spaces where psychology, genealogy, and history converge.

This week we have another lovely German dinner party scene. I obtained this photograph from the very same box at a local antique store as The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#84). I don't recognize any of the same individuals in the photos, but my best guess is that they came from the same collection. 

Here is the back of the photo which I speculated, correctly as it turns out, was written in German. 

I posted the photo and back to the Genealogy Translations Facebook group. Here is what seems to be the most likely inscription:

23.11.29

Zur Erinnerung
An den 30sten Geburts-
tag von Eurem
?. ?tin

The translation offered by a person on the page suggests:

In memory of

the 30th birthday of

??

The Google Translate version suggests:

In memory of
On the 30th birthday
day of yours
??

The name was hard to read on the last line, but it was speculated to be I. (Iieben?) Martin.

So, this appears to be a 30th birthday celebration of someone. It is not clear if I. Martin is the one writing the inscription or if it refers to the person being celebrated. It is late November in 1929.

If I had to guess I would say that the man sitting furthest in the front and right looks most like a 30 year old. Most of the others look much older to me. What do you think?

Questions:

• Who is celebrating and who is being celebrated?
• What do you think, feel, and wonder about as your look at this photograph?
• Where was this photo taken? Who took it? How did it end up in an antique store bin?
• What are the party goers drinking?
• What was the political climate at the time and location of this photo?
• What are the stories of these people and have they ever been told?

I would love to hear your speculations!

---