Born:
Died:
Herman Berliner was a patient at Trudeau Sanatorium from Brooklyn. He was admitted on November 15, 1928, and discharged for the first time on June 7, 1929, with a note of "improved" from Dr. Fred Heise. He returned to Saranac Lake for treatment at least one more time by 1932, and was under the care of Dr. Edgar Mayer of New York City.1 He stayed at Trudeau Sanatorium for treatment the first time, but his mail was addressed either to 54 Park Ave., or 57 Park Ave. c/o Jacobs in 1932 [note: 57 Park Ave is likely a mistake, but it appears on multiple letters. 54 Park Ave. was Jacobson Cottage, which offered lodging for Jewish patients.]. He was back home at 167 Van Buren St. in Brooklyn by March 26, 1934. Herman seems to have been an avid chess player, and had frequent discussions of chess matches with friends via mail. The letters also often included philosophical discussions about Jewish life and faith, marriage, parenthood, and more. He may have worked for the Red Cab Mutual Casualty Company.
A friend wrote to him in 1932, upon discovering Herman had returned to Saranac Lake, "just got home and got the shock of my young life when they told me the bastardly news. I can't understand why the smelly sisters of Great God Nemesis will not turn their squeemish [sic] probosces in other directions. After all you don't smell so bad! That is truly one of the unknowables. I'm half inclined to perform a similar trick just to see why and what attracts and magnetically draws you to the bosom of that fopish [sic] Dame Saranac. Here I come home expecting to beat up the great chess master at his own tricks, but I find not a semblance of that ghoul." 2
Sources:
1. Medical paperwork for Herman Berliner. Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2022.18.66
2. Letter to Herman Berliner from Ira, September 7, 1932. Historic Saranac Lake Collection, 2022.18.67.