Among the English ‘Harry’ is the name familiarly given to all whose name is Henry, and it corresponds exactly to the German name, Heinrich, which I received at my baptism … My father anglicized my name … in order to honour one of the best friends he had in England. ‘Mr Harry’ looked after my father's business interests in Liverpool; he knew which factories produced the best ‘velveteen’ there, and this article of commerce was particularly dear to my father's heart … ‘Velveteen’ was his favourite toy, and he was happy when the great carts carrying this freight were unloaded, and all the Jewish businessmen of the neighbourhood crammed into our corridor while the unpacking was going on; for those were his best customers. They not only bought his velveteen in large quantities, but they also showed that they appreciated its quality. Since you, dear reader, may not know what ‘velveteen’ is, I permit myself an explanation: this English word denotes a fabric made from cotton, but with the appearance and surface feel of velvet. Very good trousers, waistcoats and jackets can be manufactured from it. The material is also called ‘Manchester cloth’, after the industrial city where it was first produced in quantity.

Since the friend who was most expert at buying velveteen for resale bore the name Harry, I too received this name – and that is what I was called within the family and among our friends and neighbours.