Jewish Life and Culture
We try to collect the memory of Jewish inhabitants of Steinsfurt. We want to remind today's people that they lived together peacefully with the rest of the community.
In addition we want to keep the memory of Jews in Rohrbach, Sinsheim and in the surrounding area alive.
Jews in the Kraichgau
Jews in the Kraichgau
The earliest documents mentioning Jews in the area that is today's Baden-Württemberg are from the first half of 13th century. Within the Kraichgau the first jews are mentioned in 1288 in Bruchsal. From the 14th century we have quite a number of notes on jewish inhabitants of the Kraichgau – eg in Bretten, Sinsheim, Waibstadt, Neckarbischofsheim, Wiesloch and Eppingen. At that time quite a number of places in the Kraichgau got town status so the services of jews for developping trade and finances were sought after.
First Persecutions and Expulsions from the Kraichgau
In 1348/50 a gigantic wave of persecutions swept over the whole land and of course affected the Jews in Kraichgau. For the raging pestilence the Jews were made scapegoats. It was argued that they had poisened wells and springs. Many of them were expelled or killed. In the Kraichgau we have sources for pogroms in Bretten, Bruchsal, Waibstadt, Wiesloch and Eppingen.
After these dreadful years only at the end of the 14th century very few Jews are mentioned in the Kraichgau but already in 1390 all Jews were expelled again from the places that belonged to the Kurpfalz.
Jews in Steinsfurt
Jews in Steinsfurt
Beginning
The 1572 statistics gives one Jewish family for Steinsfurt consisting of 5 persons.
In 1659 the reformed vicar Clemens Hirzel had to write a list of all inhabitants of Steinsfurt. In this he doesn't mention any Jewish person: The changing politics of the Electors Palatine influenced Steinsfurt as well.
The first Schutzjude („Protected Jew”) in Steinsfurt was Isaac Schwab, who moved here in June 1701. His son Jacob Schwab started to pay in 1711, but had to pay only half the amount because of his bad eyesight. ◊
In 1722 Aron son of Isaak (from) Weiler became Schutzjude and moved to Steinsfurt ◊. He became the ancestor of all Jews in Steinsfurt with the name Weil◊. In 1807 the brothers Löw Feis Weil and Moses Feis Weil are „Schutzbürger” in Steinsfurt, who were grandsons of Aron.
End
The last Jews left Steinsfurt on October 14, 1940. When the deportation of the Jewish population of Baden to Gurs was carried out on October 22, 1940 there was no Jewish person in Steinsfurt. So no one has been deported directly from Steinsfurt. But some persons who had been living here were deported (and later murdered) from their new place of living.
Sources:
Hans Appenzeller, Ortschronik Steinsfurt, Band III, Die jüdische Gemeinde, 2002
Hans Appenzeller, Dr. h.c. Hermann Weil, 2012
Jews' list of the Palatine, after an excerpt by Berthold Rosenthal
{snippet AS-e|, B 243 (Police registers Steinsfurt 1935 - 40 )}
The Jewish Congregation
The Jewish Community in Steinsfurt
Beginnings
It is not known when the first Jewish community in Steinsfurt was established.
In 1809 Großherzog Carl-Friedrich published the so called „Judenedikt”.
An article was published in 1827 in „Großherzoglich Badische(n) Staats= und Regierungsblatt” (the official paper for publishing law, edicts etc) concerning the „Eintheilung der Israelitischen Gemeinden des Großherzogthums in Rabbinats= oder Synagogenbezirke betreffend” (concerning the organization of Jewish districts). Here we read:
11) BezirksSynagoge Sinzheim, Rabbinatssitz: Sinzheim,
begreift die Isr. Gemeinden zu Berwangen, Babstadt, Bischofsheim, Dühren, Eschelbach, Eppingen, Ehrstett, Gemmingen, Grumbach, Hoffenheim, Hüffenhardt, Hilsbach, Ittlingen, Mühlbach, Neidenstein, Obergimpern, Rohrbach, Rappenau, Riechen, Schluchtern, Steppach, Sinzheim, Steinfurt, Siegelsbach, Untergimpern, Weiler, Waibstadt und Wollenberg;
So a Jewish community was well established in Steinsfurt by that time.
The End
In 1938 a law was passed from Berlin (signed by Adolf Hitler) which marked the beginning of the end for the Jewish community. Up to April 1st, 1938, it had the same status and privileges as a Christian congregation. But this law changed the status to that of a „society” which was to be registered in the „Vereinsregister”. This registration actually never took place.
The „Verein” actually still existed in September 1938 when the synagogue was sold. But soon after that date it came to an end when all its members had died or emigrated.
Individuals
Individual Persons
We collect information on persons connected with Jewish Steinsfurt.
The most important family was the family Weil – even by numbers.
Moritz Eichtersheimer
Moritz Eichtersheimer had a wood and building material business that still existed in 1933
Ludwig Freudenthaler (1889-1928)
Ludwig Freudenthaler (1889 - 1928)
Ludwig Friedrich Freudenthaler is one of the four Jewish men from Steinsfurt, that are honoured as victims on the WWI-Memorial in the synagogue.
He was born on January 9, 1889 in Richen as son of Aron Freudenthaler (1848 - 1912), a butcher and trader, and his wife Sophie née Bär (1851 - 1937) ◊. The couple had four children: Adelheid (*1879, Julius (*1881), Wilhelm (*1883) and Ludwig. Adelheid died within the year of her birth. Wilhelm was killed in action in March 1918 and is remembered on the memorial in the Jewish cemetery in Eppingen.
On January 6th, 1920 Ludwig Freudenthaler married Hedwig Ottenheimer (1893 - 1945) in Heidelberg ◊. She was from Heinsheim and daughter of the trader Moses Ottenheimer (1861 - 1942) and his wife Hannchen née Kaufmann (1867 - 1932). Ludwig and Hedwig Freudenthaler had two daugters, Anna (*1925 in Heidelberg, ✡ 2010 in Paris) and Hilde (*1926 in Steinsfurt, ✡ 2015 in Baltimore).
In Steinsfurt he was accountant in the firm Eichterheimer, that dealt with building materials. In 1927 he started his own firm dealing with metals, timber and building materials ◊.
.jpg "Gravestone of Ludwig Freudenthaler on the Eppingen cemetery, grave no 630")
On the WWI-Memorial in the synagogue is to be read that Ludwig had been wounded on May 6, 1915. He died on June 20, 1928 during a visit in his brother's Julius house in Richen and is buried in the Jewish cemetery of Eppingen ◊.
The Hebrew on his grave stone gives his name as Levi.
.jpg "Obituary for Ludwig Freudenthaler in the Eppinger Zeitung June 21, 1928: Richen, 21. June. On Wednesday last week the merchant Ludwig Freudenthaler, resident of Steinsfurt, had a stroke while he visited his brother, the butcher Julius Freudenthaler from which he died yesterday evening. The deceased was much-loved and well-respected by all and his death is honestly mourned. He came back disabled from the campaign. He lost his foot at the Height of Loretto. The funeral starts tomorrow afternoon from here")
In the local newspaper 'Eppinger Zeitung' an obituary was published on June 21, 1928
After her husband's death the widow Hedwig Freudenthaler moved back to Heinsheim where her parents lived. In October 1940 she was deported to Gurs and in 1942 to Auschwitz where she was murdered. We remember her on our Shoah page.
Sources:
Material from the {snippet AS-e}
Entries of civil registers for Eppingen, Heidelberg, Heinsheim and Sinsheim (now in the corresponding town archives)
We got the photo of Ludwig by his grandchildren.
The photo of the grave is by M. Heitz.
The Stadtarchive Eppingen kindly provided the clipping with the obituary.
Ferdinand Hanauer (1848 - 1920)
Ferdinand Hanauer (1848 - 1920)
Ferdinand Hanauer was born in Richen on September 24th, 1848 as son of Mayer Hanauer and his (first) wife Augusta née Mayer (1806 - 1899).
Ferdinand married Emma (Elkele) Jeselsohn from Neckarbischofsheim on November 17, 1874. She was the daughter of the deceased trader and chairman of the synagogue Levi Hirsch Jeselsohn and his wife Elisa née Adler. The couple had five children: Leopold (*1876), Moritz (*1877), Lina (*1879), Hermann (*1880) and Elise (*1884). Lina died within a few month. The other children emigrated to the US before 1910.
Emma Hanauer died in Steinsfurt on July 2, 1866 and was buried on the Waibstadt cemetery◊.
Ferdinand then married Lina Adler in Großeicholzheim on December 6, 1886. She was born in Markelsheim on November 27, 1863 as daughter of the trader Emanuel Adler and his wife Babette née Adler ◊. The couple had three children: the twins Emma and Mina were born in 1887, but Mina died within a few days and Emma died in 1895. In 1897 daughter Recha was born. Recha emigrated to the USA.
Lina succeded to escape the Nazi-terror and went to the US – her daughter paid the travel expenses. She died in Baltimore in 1948.
Ferdinand died in Steinsfurt on September 16th, 1920 and was buried on the cemetery in Waibstadt. His grave can still be seen there.
For many years Ferdinand Hanauer was a teacher for Israelitic RE in Steinsfurt. He was the cantor of the congregation and responsible for the shechita. An article in the Frankfurter Israelitischen Familienblatt on September 11th, 1908 commemorates his 40th anniversary as a teacher.
On December 15, 1908 he was presented the „kleine Goldene Verdienstmedaille” by Großherzog Friedrich II of Baden.
He was a member in many societies and must have been a really gifted speaker. Again and again we read that he was the main speaker in festivities e.g. for the Gesangverein. Even at the laying of the foundations for the synagogue he held the speech.
He died on September 16th 1920. After his death the „Der Landbote” wrote:
.jpg)
* Waibstadt, Sept 20 [1921] (Event of death). The melamed Hanauer died in Steinsfurt at the age of 72 and was buried in the Waibstadt isr. cemetery. He had been a melamed for many years in Neckarbishofsheim and so is still remembered there as well.
Sources
Civil registers of Großeicholzheim, Markelsheim, Neckarbischofsheim, Richen, Steinsfurt
Periodicals: Landbote, Amtsblatt, Frankfurter Israelitisches Familienblatt
Eugen Jack
[fullext]
Elsa Vogt
Elsa Vogt, née Weil (1886 - 1972)
The WWI-Memorial in the synagogue names „Elsa Vogt, Philadelphia” as one of the sponsors of the plaque.
Elsa Vogt was born in Steinsfurt on July 30, 1886 as daughter of the trader Moritz Weil (1849 - 1923) and his wife Regina née Levy (1853 - 1928). The couple had married in 1883 ◊ and had seven children: Gerdraut (*1884), Karoline (*1885), Elsa, Julius (1888 - 1915) who is remembered on the WWI-plaque, Jenny (*1889), Selma (*1893), and a still-born son in 1897 ◊.
Elsa married Charles H Vogt in New York in 1916. Charles was born in Philadelphia in June 1886 as the son of the German born immigrant couple Friedrich G. Vogt and his wife Sophia. Frederick, as he was called in the US, began to work as a butcher in Philadelphia, but soon expanded his business and the firm F.G. Vogts & Sons grew to be one of the largest in the US. In 1947 it was bought by the Oscar Mayer Company, that today belongs to the Kraft Food Group.
Charles, too, worked for the family firm in a leading position. Several patents for inventions connected with meat processing and sausage production were filed under his name.
The couple Charles and Elsa Vogt had two sons, Richard (1917 - 2007) and Edward (1918 - 1991). Charles died in Philadelpha in Jan 1963. Elsa died in Montgomery, MD in Dec 1972.
Elsa's parents are buried in the Waibstadt cemetery..jpg "Gravestone of Moritz and Regine Weil on the Waibstadt cemetery")
Sources
Civil registers
Death certificates and Social Security Death Index
Patent-files
Historical Notes of the Oscar Mayer Company
Adolf Weil (1859 - 1931)
Adolf Weil (1859 - 1931)
Adolf Weil was born on August 26, 1859 as the fourth of 13 children of the marriage of Josef Weil (1823 - 1887) and his wife Fanny née Götter (1823 - 1914)(◊). He was the third son of the family in which Hermann Weil (1868 - 1927) was the tenth child.
After his father's death in 1887 he took over the business as a grain trader.
In 1890 he was elected for the Synagogenrat. Later he was the chasan of the congregation.
Adolf Weil married Jeanette Kirchheimer (1870 - 1965) from Berwangen on June 17, 1890. The couple had 5 children, Josef (* 1891), Isidor (* 1893), Max (* 1897), Flora (*1900) and Kurt (*1902).
Adolf died on November 16, 1931 and was buried in the Waibstadt cemetery.
His wife later emigrated to Argentina where all her children lived. She died 1965 in Buenos Aires.
Sources:
H.Appenzeller, Jüdische Gemeinde
The picture of the grave is from: Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg EL 228 b II
Friedrich Weil (1895 - 1916)
Friedrich Weil (1895 - 1916)
Friedrich („Fritz”) Weil was born on June 18, 1895 in Steinsfurt as the fifth of eight children to the trader and publican Samuel Weil (1859 - 1933) ◊. His mother Berta née Weil (1863 - 1923) was a sister of Hermann Weil (1868 - 1927).
Friedrich attended the Realschule Sinsheim. When he left school in July 1910 with the diploma at the age of only 15, he wanted to be a „merchant”◊. For this he later went to Antwerp in Belgium.
Fritz was in the (Baden) Infantry-Regiment No 169. He was killed on July 1, 1916 at Bapaume in the Artois (First day of the Battle of the Somme)◊.
He is honored on the WWI-Memorial in the synagogue and on the „Ehrentafel” in Steinsfurt.
His parents have a common grave in the Waibstadt cemetery. The gravestone shows a shofar on his father's side.
Photo of Friedrich by courtesy of Carlos Weil
Ferdinand Weil (1861-1916)
Ferdinand Weil (1861 - 1919)
Ferdinand Weil was born in Steinsfurt on May 26, 1861 as fourth son of Josef Weil (1823 - 1887) and his wife Fanny née Götter (1823 - 1914). The couple had 13 children, of which Hermann Weil (1968 - 1927) was the tenth.
He was a partner in the firm of his brother Hermann, trading in grain worldwide. In 1907 he returned from Argentina to Germany together with his brother Herman. He, too, settled in Franfurt am Main where he died in April 1910.
Hermann Weil (1868-1927)
Hermann Weil (1868 - 1927)
Hermann Weil was born in Steinsfurt on September 18, 1868 as son of Josef Weil (1823 - 1887) and his wife Fanny née Götter (1823 - 1914). He was the 10th of 13 children. His father Josef and his grandfather Samuel (1796 - 1865) had been grain traders in Steinsfurt. When in 1883 he left the Höhere Bürgerschule in Sinsheim he started his career in the grain trading firm Isidor Weismann & Co, based in Mannheim.
At the age of 20 he went to Antwerp to work in the grain trading firm Mosco Z. Danon. He opened a branch office in Buenos Aires for them.
In 1898 Hermann Weil established his own firm Weil Hermanos & Cia. His brothers Samuel (1867-1922) and Ferdinand (1861-1919) were partners in the firm. After some years they controlled large parts of the Argentinian grain trade.
In 1896 he married Rosa Weismann (1871 - 1912), the daughter of his former chef. The couple had two children, Felix (1898 - 1975) and Alice (1901 - 1951).
Having changed the firm into a private limited company Hermann and Ferdinand Weil returned to Germany in 1907 and settled in Frankfurt/Main. Hermann Weil did this for his health because he wanted to be near one of the leading capacities for his paralysis. Samuel Weil carried on the business in Argentina.
In Germany Hermann Weil started a career as publicist and advisor. After the beginning of WWI he worked not only for the Institute for World Trade in Kiel, but also for the German General Staff because he could provide lacking information through his international connections. Finally he was allowed to report even to Emperor Wilhelm II whom he seems to have strengthened in the idea about ending the war by a resounding victory.
After WWI he engaged to be patron for many caritative and social institutions. He was highly honoured for this from the town Frankfurt and got a honorary doctorate from the university there.
Hermann Weil never lost contact to the Kraichgau and especially to Steinsfurt. After his return from Argentina he visited his birth-place several times and he financed the „Koch- und Fortbildungsschule” (school for vocational training and cooking) that was completed in 1925.
He build a mausoleum in Waibstadt that is today one of the most impressive memorial buildings in the region. It was meant to be the last resting place for his urn. During the inauguration ceremony on September 5, 1927 Karl Spiegel, the provost of Waibstadt mentioned the effect which the expensive undertaking had for the economy of the region. It had „… given the opportunity for artistic activities, for employment and te be able to earn their living to hundreds of people during these hard times of economic turmoil …”
Only a few weeks later Hermann Weil died on Oktober 3, 1927. The urns of Herman and Flora were deposited in the Mausoleum at the Waibstadt cemetery. When the mausoleum was defiled on November 10, 1938 the urns were stolen.
This article is taken from our old web page. It has been translated and a few mistakes were corrected.
Julius Weil M.S. (1888 - 1915)
Julius Weil (1888 - 1915)
Julius Weil was born on January 15th, 1888 as the fourth of seven children of the trader Moritz Weil (1849 - 1923) and his wife Regina née Levy (1853 - 1928) ◊
.jpg "Julius Weil in 1910 as a member of the Phoenix qymnasists' squad")
Julius was a member in the Steinsfurt sport club „Phoenix”. The picture shows him as a member of the gymnasts' squad (in front Wilhelm Frank II).
By occupation he was a trader.
He was killed on May 15th, (14th) 1915 at Angres ◊.
He is remembered on the roll of honor in Steinsfurt and on the WWI-Memorial in the synagogue. His sister Elsa (*1886) was one of the sponsors for the memorial.
His parents are buried on the Waibstadt cemetery.
Sources:
The left-hand picture is from the Steinsfurt roll of honor.
The picture of the Phönix' gymnasts is from the collection of our member, the late Helmut Frank.
Julius Weil S.S. (1893 - 1916)
Samuel Weil (1867-1922)
Samuel Weil(1867 - 1922)
Samuel Weil and Ferdinand Weil were partners in the grain trading firm of their brother Hermann in Buenos Aires. When Hermann and Ferdinand returned to Germany he continued to run the business in Argentina.
Samuel Weil (1859-1933)
Samuel Weil (1859 – 1933)
Samuel Weil was born on May 9, 1859 in Steinsfurt as the son of the innkeeper Veis Weil (1821 - 1891) and his wife Elise née Weil (1822 - 1899)◊.
On May 15, 1887 he married Berta Weil (1863 - 1928), a sister of Hermann Weil ◊. The couple had 8 children: Getta (*1889), Flora Julie (*1890), Paula (*1892), Lily (*1893), Friedrich (*1895), Johanna (*1897), Alice (*1902) and Josef Sigmund (*1904) ◊.
After his father's death in 1891 Samuel Weil took over his inn. He was supported in this by the Steinsfurt council because it was the only inn for Israelites in the village serving spirits◊.
In his later life he suffered from heavy diabetes. In his right foot a gangrene developped, so it was amputated. But then his left foot showed the disease, too. He died on January 3, 1933 Link ◊ and is buried at the side of his wife in the Waibstadt cemetery. The gravestone shows a shofar on his side as a sign for his function in the community.
Samuel Weil's name is on the WWI memory plaque in the synagogue. He was one of the sponsors because his son Friedrich was killed in action.
Sources
The picture of Samuel Weil with his grandchildren is from H.Appenzeller's collection.
GLA 377-4330, 490-15067
Civil registers Steinsfurt
Ruth Winick née Weil (1931 - 2010)
Ruth Winick née Weil (1931 - 2010)
Ruth Weil was the elder daughter of cattle dealer and farmer Karl Weil (1904 - 1966) and his wife Sophie née Eichtersheimer (1907 - 1971). She was born November 6, 1931 in Heidelberg, her younger sister Marianne was born 1933 in Mannheim ◊.
Ruth was the last Jewish pupil that was enrolled in 1938 in the Steinsfurt school. (Our picture is taken from the class photo of that year).
But she had to leave the school before the school year was finished. For some time she travelled every day to Heidelberg to visit the Jewish school there.
Her father was seized during the so called „Reichskristallnacht” and transported to the KZ Dachau. After his release he prepared their emigration. In 1940 the whole family were able to escape via Italy to the USA.
In 1996 she gave an interview for the USC Shoah Foundation Institute about her life in Steinsfurt.
Sources:
The picture is taken from the collection of our member, the late Helmut Frank
Archive Stuttgart, EA 99-001, Bü 162, Questionnaires for the Family
Testimonies in the USC Shoah Foundationʹs Visual History Archive, Nr. 16288
Isaak Wolf (born in 17th century)
Isaak Wolf (17th /18th century)
Sometimes it is claimed that Isaak Wolf who is mentioned in 1688 is the first Jewish inhabitant of Steinsfurt who is known by name. But there are problems with this:
The marriages of Isaak Wolff with Elisabetha Ludwig (January 7th, 1673) and with Anna Catharina Ganser (November 26th, 1709) are both recorded in the reformed church registers of Steinsfurt. So are the christenings of 9 children. Finally he was later named „Ratsverwandter” (member of the council), a position that could only be held by Christians.
Maybe he was a Jew who had been baptized – because both Isaak and Wolf are common Jewish names?
Jews in Rohrbach
Jews in Rohrbach
At different times the Jewish population of Steinsfurt and of Rohrbach had to work together so that life in the community worked. Not always there were synagogues or a school or a mikveh in both places.
Sometimes the minyan was only reached by men from both villages.
In a survey from 1803 it says that there are four Jewish families „…welche nach Rohrbach in die Schule gehen, weil hier keine Synagoge ist" [“... who go to the synagogue in Rohrbach because no synagogue is here”].
When in 1823 a synagogue with a mikveh was planned in Rohrbach it was decreed that the women of Steinsfurt should use it as well.
On the other hand the rest of the israelitic population from Rohrbach went to the Steinsfurt synagogue after the dissolution in 1905 of the Jewish congregation in Rohrbach.
For this reason we are going to collect facts on the Jews in Rohrbach as well.
At the moment we use an article by Emil Schumacher as a summary: Die Jüdische Gemeinde Rohrbach