This exquisite calligraphic manuscript features rhyming verses adorned with stunning watercolour illustrations, commemorating the marriage of Ludwig Gutmann (1859-?) and Rosette Pinkus (or Pincus, Berlin 1872-1918). Both individuals hailed from Jewish heritage, with Rosette being the daughter of Moses and Lina Pinkus (née Arndt).
 
The manuscript references Rosette's parents and her brother, Adolf Pinkus. One illustration, titled "September 1896 ein Bild ohne Worte", shows a woman and child. Possibly this portrays Rosette with her daughter Erna Gutmann (later known as Erna Marcus), born in Berlin on June (or September?) 14, 1896. Erna's later emigration to the United States, as a means of fleeing Nazi oppression, adds a significant historical layer to this manuscript. She died in 1973 and rests in the Cedar Park and Beth El Cemeteries in New York.
 
Rosette and Ludwig had another daughter, Grethe, born on July 20, 1899, who is not mentioned in the text. Grethe married Albert Goetz. In 1939, the couple fled Nazi Germany to Amsterdam, where they lived at Zuider Amstellaan 177 III. On January 9, 1943, they were arrested and taken to Camp Westerbork, from where they were transported to Auschwitz on February 16, 1943. Three days later, they were murdered. Possibly, Grethe took the present manuscript with her to Amsterdam.
 
This manuscript not only carries sentimental significance but also acts as a tangible link to Jewish life in pre-World War I Germany, chronicling personal and familial milestones amid significant historical transformations.
 
The artwork, poetic verses, and intricate watercolours likely encapsulate the joy and hope surrounding the marriage and the birth of Erna. The manuscript is part of a much larger story about the Jewish diaspora, displacement, persecution and survival.