Hartz Mountain

Our story starts in 1926 when an almost penniless 26-year-old Max Stern decided to leave his native Germany for the promise of America. Germany was suffering from the ravages of the First World War. The allure of America's stability, liberty and economic opportunity beckoned. A childhood friend of Stern's, a local pet dealer, had borrowed a modest sum and could only pay back the loan with 5, 000 singing canaries. Stern accepted the canaries and decided to sell them in New York City.