Emilie and Bertha Goldschmidt lived with their parents Heimann (born 22.8.1858) and Henriette, née Scheper (born 10.2.1855) in Dortmund from 1919 at the latest. On 6 May 1919, they moved to Ardeystrasse 112, which was renamed Saarlandstrasse in 1937 and still bears the same name today. The father died just one month after moving, the mother around 6 years later. Daughters Emilie and Berta continued living at the same address.

Mid-1939 marked the beginning of an odyssey for both sisters through several so-called “Jew houses” in Dortmund. They evidently made an attempt to leave Germany via Hamburg, but were prevented from doing so through the outbreak of the war. They returned from Hamburg on 11 September 1939, and initially lived at Moritzgasse 3. They then lived at Lindenstrasse 45 (1939-1940), then back at Moritzgasse 3 (1940-1941), and finally at Stubengasse 18 (1941-27.1.1942).

On 27 January 1942, the two sisters were deported to Riga, where they presumably lost their lives.