Family Herzfeld

December, 2021 - Some updates from Samuel

Regarding the article on my family that is published on your blog there are a few elements that should be corrected - we received some new info this year from Mr. Diamond (JRI Poland).

List of siblings : Malvina, born in 1914 (not 1905)

We can add Rachla, born in 1902, died in 1918 from tuberculosis.

The family picture was actually taken in ca. 1916, not in 1921. My grandfather Eliasz is actually not in the picture (he wasn’t born at that time). The baby right to the mother is Malvina and the teenage girl is Rachla.

Like most of these tales, it starts with an email...

My grandfather was Eliasz Herzfeld, born in Przemysl on October 5th, 1919.

He was in the Przemysl ghetto until the very end of its existence and was then deported to Stalowa Wola labour camp in 1943. He escaped miraculously and hid until the end of the war. All his relatives who were in Przemysl at the time of WWII perished in the Holocaust, either in the gas chambers of Belzec or in the Przemysl ghetto, a question mark that remains unanswered to us.

His siblings were:
- Izak Herzfeld, born on April 9th 1904, married to Beracha
  Tenenbaum. They had a child, Hadasa Herzfeld, born on
  September 5th, 1932.
- Malvina Herzfeld, born c. 1905
- Markus Herzfeld, born on August 12th, 1906.
- Aron Herzfeld, born on March 1st, 1911. He immigrated
   to Belgium before WWII and hid during the war.
  He passed away in 2013 at the age of 102.
- Moische Herzfeld, born on January 16th, 1913.

His parents were Salomon Herzfeld, of whom we unfortunately don’t know much (no picture, no place & date of birth) and Dwojra Tanenbaum, born on August 5th, 1878 in Przemysl.

If you have any information concerning the Herzfeld & Tanenbaum families from Przemysl, or might know anybody who could help, I would be much grateful. Samuel

The Herzfeld family in Przemysl c.1921- left to right: Aron ; Moische ; the mother Dwojra ; Eliasz; Malvina and Markus . Absent from the picture are Izak and the father Salomon. Aron and Eliasz were the only members of the family to survive the Holocaust.

Aron (3rd from L) and friends in Przemysl (the Rynek?) c. 1928

Aron in the Chorus of the synagogue c. 1924

A father without a face - family Pritsch

To find the missing is hard; to find a photo is next to impossible. Nevertheless, I fully understand why the emailer, below, must try. Anyone have any leads that might help this family?

Dear Mr Semmel,

My name is Richard Sherman. For the past several years, my sister and I have been attempting to locate any information, but ESPECIALLY a picture, of our Polish grandfather, Josef Pritsch.

Our mother, Irene Sherman (originally born Ruth Pritsch), has never seen a picture of her father; she only has descriptions from her mother and uncle. We believe Josef Pritsch was executed by the Nazis in Poland in approximately 1943, possibly in Auschwitz, and possibly by hanging instead of the gas chambers.

The reason I am writing to you (I got your e-mail from the Jewish Przemysl Blog site) is that we are desperate and all of our family's efforts to date have not been successful. Based on family stories, we have strong reason to believe that, at some point prior to the German invasion of Poland, our grandfather temporarily went to Palestine, but returned to Poland when our grandmother refused to leave. So he came back.

Our presumption is that, if the story is true, he must have received some kind of travel documents, possibly a passport. I have been unsuccessful in attempting to confirm this however. Another website had a list of surnames, but his was not listed. The instructions stated that it wasn't an exhaustive list, and several other factors may account for missing names. Attempted contact with the person who I thought ran the website, a "JR Baston" did not get a reply.

Information I can provide about my grandfather in addition to his name is: He was born and lived in the town of Przemysl for most of his life. I believe he was born in 1910. His parents' first names may have been Mordechai and Tauba. He was married to Klara Kurzweil, who was also his cousin. Klara's family may have operated some kind of import/export business before the war. He was a college student (possibly in Austria?) before the war.

We believe he went to Palestine at some point, possibly in the 1930's. His daughter, Ruth Pritsch (my Mom), was born on June 6, 1938. We believe he was executed by hanging by the Nazis, likely in 1943, possibly in Auschwitz.

I have filed records requests with other organizations through the US Holocaust Museum and received some responses, but no information more than what we already have. My sister and I have also attempted contact and sought help from both the Polish Embassy (which was no help), and some more distant relatives that settled in France and in Israel. (who also didn't have any information or pictures we could positively identify as him. This was hampered more because the relative in France we found was blind, didn't speak English [we had to use an interpreter], and was still angry at my grandmother's side of the family for her not going with grandfather to Palestine when they had the chance.)

Since the website listed your contact info regarding your book, I thought you might have some help or advice for us as to how we might find any photographic evidence of our grandfather.

It would be the greatest gift I could give my mother if I could allow her to see the face of the father she is too young to remember. If you can, please help us. I eagerly await your reply.

Richard can be reached at: rsherman1 (the "@" sign) yahoo.com

Family Segal of Przemysl

Via email come Family Segal of Przemysl...

Hello,

In memory of my great-grandparents who lived in Przemysl, I would appreciate if you post these photos in your blog.

Chaim Segal (son of Mechel) and Hinda (daughter of Naftali and Drezla Zins) had 9 sons and 5 daughters. Six of their children left Przemysl before WW2 and lost contact with those who stayed.

Thank You

Nili Goldman
Israel

 Chaim and Hinda

 Pinkas and Genya Segal (my grand parents) with 2 children before leaving Przemysl to Portugal.(1925)

 Chaim and Hinda in front of their home with family (1939)

(If Hinda was also known as Mina, then I believe that the home was at Dworskiego 6 which is listed as owned by Mina Zins (Zinsowa)-- David)

The 5 Segal Girls (born between 1887 and 1908)

The Story of Mann

As we have become accustomed to, Lukasz in Warsaw comes through with the answers regarding Family of Mann:

Hello David,

I owe you some stories on Przemysl. The last question about Manns deserves an answer. Fasten your belt, I'll take you and Kenny on a ride.

"His sister's name was Clara, I believe.", writes Kenny. Klara died in 1941 and her tombstone is among not so many (ca. 750 out of thousands) that survived.

The sentence on the plaque of Klara's tomb reads: "To my mum who taught me to be eternally young. Son."

What's more, we have a story about her funeral, written by her granddaughter. This is a piece:

“I’m on Slowackiego Street. A little higher up is the Jewish cemetery, where my grandmother was buried during the winter. I think back to her wretched funeral: that little coffin on the rickety cart, Mother and I following behind. I go to the cemetery. […] It’s quiet and peaceful in the cemetery. Fat insects crawl over the grass. The old stone grave markers tell the histories of former families. The gold letters of the shining sepulchres call to those who have gone and assure them of the impeccably good taste of those who have remained. My grandmother’s grave is off to the side. In the beaten clay a black marker has been stuck. ‘Klara Mann, born… died 12 XII 1941’... a beginning and an end. I stand by my grandmother’s grave but I do not cry. I am not thinking any more of her lonely death. She loved me so much. In my thoughts I beg her to help me rescue my parents and my brother.”

Sounds familiar? Yes, this is a part of memoirs I uploaded at ARC website years ago.

Aleksandra Mandel was the daughter of Salomea Mandel (born Mann), Klara's daughter, and Aleksander Mandel. She was the only survivor. She later changed her first name to Cecylia. Diminutive of Cecylia is Cesia (pron. Tsesha) and it must be "someone known as Aunt Tseckia", as Kenny writes. Kenny may not remember that Cesia visited them in Africa, sometime in 60's. This visit was foreseen in prophetical conversation in Przemysl ghetto, moments before it's liquidation started:

"‘To turn my Mother’s sad thoughts to other things – my Mother, who is so bravely bearing the burden of our poverty – I hug and kiss her, and talk to her about my uncle, who from far, from Africa, writes to us through Switzerland and who will certainly help us as soon as the war finishes.

“And you, Mama, will be the first great lady of Africa, and Tata and Jozio will eat bananas for breakfast and pineapples for dinner.”

Mama looks around at our shabby little room, at the lamentably empty cupboard, at the unlit stove, and says: “Child, you might see it, but my grave will be growing grass by then…”

And next passage:

“The Gestapo bang on our window.

“We’re coming,” says Tata, “Here you are, my watch, it will stay with you.” He puts the old watch that was his father’s down on the buffet.

“Think that you were with us on a ship during a wreck, and we went down, while a life buoy brought you to shore...”

“Uncle will ask you to Africa after the war,” Mother adds.

Here is the most disinterested, sublime love in the world. Even now my parents don’t think of themselves.”

After the war Aleksandra/Cesia lived in one of Galician towns and worked as a journalist, like her father. She wrote an article about her african trip which is remembered there.

She and her husband founded an obelisk at Przemysl cemetery commemorating her parents and her brother.

The rest is also true - her son Oles and a grandson Maciek are well known photographers indeed, now in Krakow.

Aleksandra deposited her memories in 1946 at Jewish Historical Commission in Krakow. They are kept at Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw now.

I wish you, all your family, and Kenny too, sweet and peaceful New Year.
And Gmar Hatima Tova.

Lukasz

Family Mann

Over the transom comes yet another amazing Przemysl diaspora tale.  Does anyone out there have any information on family Mann?

I have just been reading your website with interest. My father was born in Przemysl and lived there until 1939 when he walked out barefoot as Hitler invaded. He ended up in Bucharest where he met my mother and they married. they had to escape yet again and ended up in Kenya, where they settled and where I was born and raised.

I am making a film about their extraordinary story - there were very few Jews in Kenya - and while I have a lot of material on my mother, I have virtually nothing about my father and his family. He was born in 1907. His name was Igor Mann in later life, but I believe his real first name was Izidore. He trained as a veterinarian at the University of Prague and he had a sister who died of TB before the war. I believe his father died when he was 13 and his mother died in 1942.

Is there any way in which I might be able to find more information about him or his family? He was 32 when he left, so there must be some records - or maybe not, since the Jewish population was so thoroughly wiped out. Anyway - if you can make any suggestions for me as to further research, I would really appreciate it.

Many thanks!
Kenny Mann

Some additional information on her family:

Yes - you may post my note to the blog. Some of the people contributing were about the same age as my father - perhaps they knew the family. His father was a bricklayer. My father became an orphan at age 13 and made money by de-backing and selling stamps and mending tennis racquets. His sister's name was Clara, I believe. There is someone known as Aunt Tseckia (I don't know how to spell this) who has a son called Olesh who apparently became quite a well-known photographer - they now live in Krakow, I believe.

Postcards from Przemysl

Posted below are post cards sent from Przemysl to relations in Basel. One of the things that makes these so interesting are the dates - 1943 - right in the midst of the holocaust. The Nazi cancellations and Hitler stamps are disturbing reminders of the awful backdrop of that year.

Original email from Charles:

My grandmother Lifsia Intrator was born In Przemysl and a great part of her family lived there. She had 9 brothers and sisters and several of them died in the Shoa. I had the opportunity to see a number of old postcards written to my late grand-aunt Cescha who lived in Basel by one of their sisters Hadassa Eisenberg Intrator and some friends.

I found several, to me unknown names: Frieda Blech ( maybe also Frieda Rubenfeld) Pola Ungar,. There is also a postcard in Polish that I do not understand but where

Charles Mahler Antwerp Belgium.

Chick to see Charles' family history: "Israel Intrator in Przemysl."

Anyone care to take a stab at a translation?

Family Sporn/Shacham

Here is an email to me...

Both my father and mother's families were from Pshemishl.
My mother's family was Swartz, and they were lucky to leave Poland just before the war.
However, my father's family were probably lost in the WW2.

I am trying for a long time to find out what happened to them, and maybe your blog may help.

My father was Itzhak Sporn, came to Israel in 1934.

He left behind a married sister (Sali Diamand, husband Yoseph, and 3 kids: Hela, Milek and Buzia),and two unmarried sisters: Sofia and Cila.

Please publish this note, maybe someone will know something about my lost family.

Thanks,

Zvi Shacham (Sporn) zvi.shacham@gmail.com

As it turns out, I am familiar with the name via Martin Sporn,a man who married a cousin of mine after the Shoah.

Florine Getter was born in 1926 in Paris. Her mother was Chaya Silberman (photo, right), my grandfather's sister. Chaya and husband Muni Getter (photo, left) were both arrested in France and put on trains to Auschwitz where Chaya perished. Muni, miraculously, survived. Their child Florine was hidden for the entire Shoah in a convent in Grenoble. After the war, her father found her in Paris and they immigrated to New York where she married Martin Sporn. I do not know if Martin was from Przemysl...

Looking for Grandmother's school mate

I received the email below from the grand daughter of one of the students at The Primary School for Girls in Przemysl. Unfortunately, the email I have for Anna Demby (nee ŚWITALSKA) is no longer valid. Does anyone have her contact information?

I’m writing to you because on the one of photos you have published on your web site.  I recognized my grandmother. Her name is Irena Popiel (nee Osmak). On the photo she is the last person at the bottom right of the picture (a sitting girl with a dark hair, and dark school uniform - http://gosiapopiel.pl/pliki/irenaosmak.JPG ).

Grandmother is living in Poland in Bydgoszcz now. Unfortunately she has a health problems. She can not recall any details of her youth. If there is any possibility that you could put us to touch with Mrs. Demby, I would really appreciate it. As a grandmother’s friend form the class - maybe she will be able to help us uncover history of my grandmother.

And maybe you have some information about my grandmother family – Osmak from Przemysl?

We (me and my family) will be grateful for any help.

Best regards,

Małgorzata Popiel

Families Sternbach and Eisner

From Tina in LA... if anyone has information on these names, please contact me.

I subsequently found a note on Lukasz Beidka's indispensable site DeathCamps.org on the Belzec Remembrance page:

EISNER nee Weinstock, Ludwika (Luta)
Born in 1893. Deported from Przemysl ghetto to Belzec, in the beginning of the first "action", on 27 July 1942.

The first email:

Hello David -- My maternal grandmother - Rose Sternbach married Jacob Eisner and she definitely lived in Przemsyl until she immigrated tothe Unites States in 1921, New York, and took up residence in Brooklyn. I would appreciate any assistance you can give me to find out if I have any relatives living there or if any members of my family survived or died during the Holocaust. I believe it was a good size family and my great grandfather owned some sort of shop there.  Thank you very much - Tina Valinsky

I remember an old postcard...

Tina - While I have no direct knowledge of the names you mentioned, I can tell you that the name Eisner is known to me from a postcard I have of the Eisner Store (Men's clothing, I believe) located on Plac na Bramie in Przemysl c. 1910. I wil try to find the scan I have of it. A quick look through the JRI dadatase shows loads of Przemysl-related Eisners. It would take some effort by someone who knew the family to decipher. Sternback is not a name I know from Przemysl nor does it show up in my records. Lastly... may I post this info on the blog site? Warm regards, David

Different Eisner...

Hi David - Thank you so much for your assistance. Actually, it was Sternbach who owned the small shop, his first name might have been Samuel. My grandfather, Jacob Eisner was an upholsterer but not sure if he worked in Przemysl ( but probably did ) and then immigrated to Brooklyn with my grandmother Rosa Ester (Sternbach).

On the ship's manifest, the Adriatic, from Southampton, England, it says Hernbach was my grandmother's father's name but that must be a mistake. Yes, you have my permission to post something about this and give my email for a response. Again, I appreciate any help trying to sort out my family tree and perhaps actually connect with relatives. Sincerely, Tina Valinsky

Family Michalczyk?

Emailer Steve writes:

It's a fascinating blog, David.

I'm not Jewish, nor Polish, but in deciding to try and give my wife a 'family tree' as a surprise 50th birthday present next year I've been struck by all things Polish! I've even begun learning the language in the hope of a surprise visit next autumn.

I wondered whether you could ask on your blog if there are any Michalczyk's still living in or around Przemsyl?

My wife's father (Iwan Michalczyk) was born in Tarnawce, just outside Przemysl, but escaped to the UK during the war. All I know of him is that his father's name was Konstantego Michalczyk, that his mother died in childbirth (1918), and a stepmother died soon after in some sort of fire.

Thanks for any help you might generate, and keep up the good work with the blog.

Family Engel

Anyone know of family Engel? Have a spare bottle of Engel Galician Pinot 1895?

Hello David

It’s Roma Baran who gave me your name and email address.

I’m the son of Simon Engel, who was born in Przemysl on June 3rd 1916, son of Herz and Margulie Engel-Weinberger.

My father was studying in Belgium before the War, so he escaped and fought in the RAF. All his family was killed, except one brother, Ben, who survived the camps and then left for Belgium then Canada, then California. They are both dead now.

My father never told me a lot about his past and family. They were all born in Tarnow. What I know is that, from my grand-mother, they had vineyards, before WW I. During WW I, they left for Budapest, where my father is born. When they came back, they discover they had lost almost everything.

As many sons and grand-sons of « survivors » (even if he was not in camps), and more as a writer, I started late (too late) to inquire about this past. And I found very few.

Would you have any information about my family in Przemysl ?

best regards

Vincent Engel
www.vincent-engel.com

Family Knoll

I have been corresponding with Alexander Khochinskiy who runs the "BOHEMA" Art Gallery in Moscow. Alexander is trying to find out what became of his mother's Knoll family in Przemysl during the war. Here is his story:

My mother, nee Miriam Knoll, was born on 22 Feb. 1922 and had her childhood in the Polish town of Peremyshl. I have appended to this letter on the birth certificate of my mother, in which also listed the home address, home to her family - Grunevaldska 128. On the June 22, when the bombing began (in Przemysl), my mom was able to go to her grandmother's village near Lviv, which, in 1939, had become a Soviet city. When the Germans again came close, she and other refugees went to the east and reached Kiev, but , she went further - to Tashkent, where, until the end of the war, she worked at the hospital, saving the lives of wounded Soviet soldiers, among whom was my future father who had been seriously wounded at the front.

Thus, she survived, and once married, her name has become - Khochinskaya.

After the war, my mother looked for her relatives through the Red Cross. I have attached a reply from them.
I would like to know the fate of my mother's relatives - especially her father and mother - their names can be easy and correct found in the certificate of her birth.

Nearly ten years ago, I was able to visit the hometown of my mother - Peremyshl. I found the place where once stood the house of her family, from which no one survived, except for her, despite everything away in the USSR, where she not only preserved my life, but also gained a home, family, and children.

Of course the house of her family does not exist, but what was my astonishment when I saw that on my mother's ground is a House is built in 1980 - the Roman Catholic Church - GRUNWALDZKA KOSCIOL Matki Bożej Królowej Polski!


Then I was struck not merely by the existence of a temple on the land of my ancestors, but that the name of the church coincided with the name of my mother - Mary.

While in the past I had not thought about it, the influence of this magical coincidence convinces me that I have the legitimate right to claim my family's property - land belonging to me as heir to the rightful owners who perished during the Nazi occupation.

And now, I think that all the Jews of Poland should be paid compensation for property requisitioned during the Nazi, and later, and the communist regimes.


Sincerely yours,
Alexander Khochinskiy

If anyone has any information on Family Knoll, please email me and I will get you in touch with Alexander.

Anna, a young woman in the photo

More from Anna on Przemysl during the war:

Thank you for trying to help me to find the fate of my dentist Mr. Rosenblueth and his family.

I explain to you my friendly connection with him. He attended to my teeth for a number of years, as I needed correction as a little girl of eight. I and my parents were very grateful to him and later we became friends. Unfortunately, when the Germans bombed Przemysl on 7th Sept.1939 his house was hit and burned to the ground. He only managed to save his skeleton dentist chair which he transported to my parents at Dworskiego for safe keeping.

I email Anna and asked her three questions. First, "In the photo, which one are you?"

1. I am in the photo Anna Switalska in the first row second from the left between my friend Dziunia Gottdank and Maria Jurasz. (see below)

Next, I asked, "Are you Jewish?"

2. I am Polish but I had many Jewish friends.

And finally, "How did you and your family survive the war?"

3. This is a long story. When the war started I was 15 and still a pupil at the secondary school, Gimnazjum Kupieckie at Dworskiego 25. The Russians occupied half of Przemysl up to the river San. They evicted us from our flat and we had to live for 2 whole years in the cellars while they have enjoyed living in our flat including the kitchen. They re-named the school Molotow which I attended for further 2 years. When the Germans invaded Przemysl in June 1941, the Russian fled and we were able to get back into our flat. The Germans re-named the school Hoehere Handels Fachschule which I continued to attend until matriculation.

Then suddenly my father broke his leg. The Germans did not allow to send an ambulance for Poles, so it took 3 hours to wait for a passing cart to take him to hospital with an open wound. There was only one Ukrainian doctor and no penicillin. My father got gangrene and died at the age of 60.

After his death my mother's family in Vienna arranged for my mother and me to join them. As a foreigner (born in Poland) I had to clear the streets of Vienna after bombing in order to receive ration cards for food. When the war ended I could not believe that I am still alive. Through the British Cross in Vienna I managed to trace my brother who was missing for 6 years. He fought the Germans in the South (Tobruk, Monte Cassino etc.) with the Polish Army under Gen. Anders. My mother and I went immediately to Innsbruck and went to the Polish Red Cross. We paid 10 Dollars each to be taken by foot at night through the Alps (Brenner Pass) over the border to Italy to join my brother. We met in Verona and then went to Cingolli where he was stationed. After a month he brought the message from his Headquarters that all Poles cannot return to Poland because the Russians are still there and half of Poland in Russia, but Britain allowed them to come and live in England with their families.

We traveled to Britain and I am still living here, married with two grown up sons. My husband and I visited Przemysl once and I still have some friends there and am corresponding with them.

She concluded her note with a question back to me, and to all of this blog's readers:

By the way, who sent you the photograph? Are any of my Jewish colleagues and friends in the photo still alive?

Warm regards, Anna.

Did any of the young Jewish students in the photo survive the holocaust? I don't know.

More on the girl's school - and the Przemysl dentist -

I received an email from Anna Demby (nee Switalska,) one of the girls in this 1937 photo posted a while back:


She clears up a few missing pieces:

I am very grateful for your prompt reply. I note that you already have exactly the same photo of the girls school at Konarskiego in Przemysl. I therefore only would like to add that the missing name ".....Zofia" was Chraca Zofia and the name of the headmistress, sitting by Ela Liebich was Nowosielska, and the teacher's name sitting next to her was Hanula. We called her pani Hanulanka.

Then she asks:

Is it possible for you to find my dentist Mr. Rosenblueth who had a beautiful dental practice on the first floor in ulica Franciszkanska in Przemysl and who escaped Holocaust because he was hidden for a few years by his Polish servant. She used to come very often to my parents in ulica Dworskiego with his clothes etc. which my mother sold and gave the servant the money for Mr. Rosenblueth's upkeep.

Mr. Rosenblueth managed to send his wife and his child with other Polish women to Germany for hard labour. I am sure that he and his family must have survived the war but I do not know of their fate after the war, as after the death of my father my mother and I managed to leave Poland to Vienna. Maybe his daughter is still alive?

Does anyone remember the dentist?

Anna is now 85 years old, married and lives in England.

Searching Przemysl name Rubinfeld

This came in over the transom:

Dear David:

My father was born in Przemsyl and came to America in 1935. He passed away ten years ago. I have been trying all my life to find out what happened to my grandmother, Zeisel Rubinfeld and her daughter (my aunt) Fela. Do you have any knowledge of my grandmother, aunt or any of my relatives from Przemsyl?

L to R: Uncle Froium Mendel Rubinfeld, Fela (my aunt), my father Pinchas. Seated is my grandmother Zeisel

Sincerely,

Sidney Rubinfeld

Contact me to get in touch with Sid.

Family Segal?

Anyone out there remember family Segal of Przemysl?

Hello,

My Grandmother Shara Segal was from Przemysl. Can you please help me to find out if anyone remembers her and her family?

She had a twin sister and the family owned a hotel and a restaurant on Adam Mitckevitz Street. (Mickiewicza) As far as I know my grandmother was the only survivor from her family. Her parent names were Esther & Yaacov Segal

Thanks
Irit M
Israel

Mickiewicza, the grand boulevard leading east out of town toward Lemberg, was lined with many fine hotels and restaurants before the shoah.

Anyone know anything about family HANFLING?

This came in over my (electronic) transom today:

I am looking for information about my father's family.

Yosef Hanfling (left in the photo) was born in Przemysl on 16/05/1915 and died in 1989. The oldest of five sons, he came to ISRAEL in 1938 and lived in kibbutz Hamaapil.

He is the only one from his family that we know survived the shoah.

His father's name was DAN and his mother was PEARL. They may have lived at 41 SLOWACKIEGO street.

Email: Alex Hanfling

(email edited by DRS)

Looking for Glasser from Przemysl

Sheila Schneider, the coordinator for the Przemysl shtetlinks site, is looking for information on the Glassers of Przemysl per the email, below. If you have anything for her, please email her (click on he name).

I am corresponding with two brothers from Przemysl that survived the Holocaust. I have placed Ben’s stories of life in Przemysl before, during and after the Holocaust, on the shtetlinks page. I am waiting for David’s stores. Ben has asked me to use my resources and locate any information about his schoolmate mate friend with the surname of Glasser. Below are Ben’s comments:

"I went to school with a Jewish boy, Glasser; I don’t remember his first name. He lived in a house, not in an apartment house, on the street Trzeciego Maja. I remember visiting him at his place when he was ill."

Looking for the Rothmanns of Przemysl

J. A. Lebman emailed me the truely amazing story of her father, Hermann Rothmann. She is looking for any information about her Rothmann family post Shoah. -- David

I was extremely excited to come across your site. I found it by chance having "googled' “Przemysl,” something I do fairly often.

An entire branch of my family lived in Przemysl until World War 2 and then disappeared. My grandfather, Isaak (Erich/Israel) Rothmann was born in Przemysl c. 1898 and lived there until he was drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army in WW1. He joined the cavalry, but according to the family, he was not even supposed to be drafted. The call came to his older brother but he was indispensable to the family business - at that time the family ran the local "taxi' service – troikas, horse powered of course. My grandfather took his brother's name and identity and fought on the Russian front and was captured twice by the Russians. On one occasion he pretended to be a dentist and spent some time pulling teeth. His regiment marched to the Radetsky march.

After his second escape he had had enough. He threw his uniform in the river and fled to Leipzig, Germany. He worked for a man who made leather goods, married the boss’ daughter (Betty Rappaport) and eventually moved to Berlin where he continued in the business. I suspect that my grandmother’s family (Rappaport) may have had a Przemysl connection – their original town (before Leipzig) was Stary Sambor – but I remember some reappearing names in the family tree and it is possible my grandfather went to their factory in Leipzig because he knew them – or they were distant relatives.

My father, Hermann Rothmann, was born in 1924. He remembers visiting Przemysl. Galicia was definitely less advanced and less sophisticated than Berlin. As a boy, he felt as though he was going back in time when he visited. He arrived by train and a fleet of horsed drawn taxis was waiting to take him to the family home - remember, taxis were the family business.

The Rothmann house backed onto the river at 75 Kapernikov Street (Kopernika). My father remembers a boy cousin his own age called Koby. (Yaakov). My grandparents and father were lucky enough to survive the war. My father was sent to England on the kinder-transport and my grandparents fled and ended up in Israel.

None of the Przemysl branch appears to have survived. My cousin in Israel (son of my father’s younger brother) has some more information on the family in Przemysl – but if anyone has any information about the Rothmann family - either remembers them or if they appear on a branch of anyone’s family tree, I would love to be in touch.

J. A. Leberman

A small part of 6 million

I was looking through the pictures in the Przemysl Yizkor (holocaust remembrance written by survivors in Hebrew and Yiddish) book the other day when I came across a photo that caught my eye. After a few moments racking my brain, it dawned on me; this is the same photo that my grandmother Fannie had in her album - the one that no one in the family could identify. A funeral, but for who? And where?

Now we know: It turns out that the photo is from the dedication of a memorial stone to those lost in Shoah, taken in 1946 in the cemetery in Przemysl.

My mother thinks that it may have been given to my grandfather Emil who spent every Saturday down at the HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) office in New York, trying to find out what became of his brother Elia (his photo to the right), last seen crossing the San river in 1939 to join the Red Army when the Nazis took over Przemysl. To this day, we do not know his fate. It also may have been sent by my grandmother’s brother Isaac (Edward) who did return to Przemysl from Russia after the war only to find his wife and four children gone, but that’s another story altogether.

In any case, I’m glad we have this photo, and I can now appreciate what it meant to my grandparents – this little ceremony really was a mass funeral for all those who didn’t make it back home to Przemysl after the Shoah, including Elia Silberman, Leah Metzger and four children with names unknown to us. Never again.