SELIGMANN PAGE
Here is a rough translation of a part of a document sent to me by Justin Seligmann of Raana, Israel. The document was "researched and written by a Jewish teacher from one of the small towns on both sides of the Swiss-German border"
The Seligmann Family which has resided in Ichenhausen for more than 200 yrs stemmed from the Schwaebischen place Thannhausen in the environs (umweit von) of Ichenhausen. In the middle ages Thannhauser was a flourishing community. The family of one of our greatest Jewish scholars from the middle ages, SABBATHAI COHEN, lived in Thannh. In the golden age of the community a Jewish printing press existed there .
In August 1717 the Jews were expelled from Thannhausen by the government of that place. A few families gained admission to Krumbach. The majority , and that includes with great certainty the Seligmann Family, were made welcome in Ichenhausen by Herrn Von Stein.
According to registrars office records and other documents it appears that the ancestor of the Seligmann family in Ichenhausen was clled HIRSCH. Hirsch was born in 1740. His wife Haendel was born in 1746 and died at the age of 90 on 9 April 1836.
Hirsch had 2 sons:
I. ISAK born 1772
II. JAKOB born 1775
Isak married Mindel. Their children were called
-
Joel Loeb, born 21 july 1801
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Jakob, born 19 aug 1803
Isak dedicated himself to the spiritual profession. He was a Private teacher, specialising in the Five Books of Moses, the Talmud and other Hebrew books……….his annual emolument was 150 Gulden. His great learnedness earned him the title "Morenu".
In 1813 the brothers Isak and Jakob took up the surname Seligmann.
Isak Seligmann died 2 sep 1839. His widow Mindel died 15 aug 1845 aged 70 yrs.
Jakob, born 1775, married Gietel, born Bergmann. Gietel was born in1780. Jakob was engaged in trade (Gueterschaften) and money changing (Wechselschaeften) and then ran a business with "langen Waren" (?dry goods).
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"DIE FAMILIE SELIGMANN STAMMT WARHSCHEINLICH AUS THANNHAUSEN.
IM PROTOKOLL UBER DIE VERLESUNG DES VON KAISER RUDOLF II IM JAHRE
1598 ERLASSENEN FREIHEITSBRIEFES FUR JUDE UND JUDINNEN IN DER
MARKGRAFSCHAFT BURGAUS (JETZT IM STADARCHIV GUNZBURG) WIRD
ALS ANWESEND AUCH DER JUDE SELIGMANN GENNANNT. VON THANNHAUSEN
WANDERTEN DIE SELIGMANNS NACH ICHENHAUSEN WO SIE SCHON 1673
ERWAHNT WERDEN"
This note is attached to the enormous family tree of the Seligmann family compiled between 1935 and 1965 by Dr. Reinhold Seligmann. The tree starts with Jakob Seligmann of Ichenhausen, Bavaria who died in 1843 leaving 5 children. Descendants of Jakob have married into the following related families:Yamey, Bloch, Rieser, Bendix, Friedlander, Ginsberg....to mention but a few.
In the mid 16th century Jews were officially expelled from many towns and villages in Bavaria. As far as I can understand this was to avoid the settlement of large amounts of money owed to them by the non-Jews.
In a history of the town of Ichenhausen (by the late Heinrich Sinz, Pastor of Ichenhausen) which I am trying to translate - not without a lot of difficulty - I have learnt that a Seligmann family was expelled from Thannhausen and settled in Ichenhausen (which for some reason welcomed Jews). This Seligmann family was that from which we are descended.
Reinhold Seligmann(1892-1966?)
Son of SIGMUND SELIGMANN (See BLOCH UND GINSBERG page) and Esther Perlmutter(b.1865, Radziejev in Poland, d.1942, Jerusalem- daughter of Heiman Perlmutter b.1841 Radziejev, d.1925, Munchen & Baile [Bertha] Hleezewelka). He was born in Barkly East. Became Dr..jur.( a german legal degree). Was Rechtsanwalt in Nurnberg and Munchen. Emigrated to Palestine in 1936 where he worked as a bookbinder. Married Sophie (sonja) Bruhn of Libau (b. 1897 in Subocz). they had two daughters: Felicitas (b.1924) and Hava(b.1928) who fought in Israel in 1948.
Sigmund Seligmann (b.Ichenhausen 1856, d.Munchen,1939)
Merchant in Barkly East (SeeBLOCH UND GINSBERG page again!). Retired to Munchen.
Emil Seligmann(b1877 Ichenhausen, d. 1927, Rhodes, SA)
Son of Heinrich Seligmann and Fanny Bissinger. He ran the Rhodes branch of S.Seligmann and Company.
Karl Seligmann(b.? Ichenhausen?, d.1934 Nieuwe Plaats, SA)
Son of Nathan Seligmann and Frieda Rosenfels. He had a trading post in Nieuwe Plaats (in or near Langkloof). He had children but not much is known about them or their mother.
The tree covers 10 sheets of A3 size paper and I am pondering the best way to present this. Initially I shall put the information in my family-tree software which will mean that Gedcom files can be exported. CLICK HERE to see the Seligmann Family Tree
Watch this space!
