Bloch und Ginsberg
Both very common names... making genealogical searching very difficult.
Bloch
Some left Gailingen, Germany for South Africa and others for France.
Iwan Bloch (1886- 1931) was born in Gailingen (Germany). Before setting off for South Africa c.1903 he worked in Zurich (Switzerland). He went to Barkly East to join his maternal uncle Sigmund Seligmann (see Seligmann page) in his department store, S.Seligmann & Co., the main building of which stood on a corner of Market Square. This store was the Harrods or Saks Fifth Ave of Barkly East - a small town surrounded by farmers who when things were doing well bought luxuries from this store and when things were not good had credit from the company. You could buy anything fro, candelabra to coffins at Seligmann's. The company had a wool store where the local farmers brought their wool to be baled. Before the railway was built to Barkly East, wagons transported the wool from this store to a town called New England from whence it reached the outside world. After some time (date unknown) Iwan and a Mr Blume (also from Germany) became directors of the business. Iwan was Mayor of Barkly East for 7 or 8 years (dates unknown).
He married Ilse Ginsberg(1893-1948), daughter of Franz Ginsberg (see below) in 1916. She had a very fine singing voice and ran the Dramatic Society in Barkly East. She always had the leading parts in its productions which included operetta such as Gilbert and Sullivan.
Ginsberg
To see Ginsberg family tree, click on: Nathan Ginsberg(1814 - 1890) [son of Schmuel Hacohen Ginsberg] was married to Rosalie Berg(1830 - 1916). They had 11 children, one of whom was Franz (see below). Nathan was a school-master in Beuthen. His thesis "Von den sphaerischen Linien welche durch den Schnitt einer Kugel und der Umdrehungs-Oberflaechen des zweites Grades entstehen." was published in Breslau(now Wroclav) in 1841. He was offered a professorship (? in Berlin) but declined it as he did not want to convert to Christianity.
Franz Ginsberg (1862- 1936) left Germany (year?) and arrived in South Africa. He settled in King Williams Town (KWT) where he was an important politician and entrepreneur. in the 1880s he and Jacob Rindl (see RINDL page) started "Ginsberg and Rindl", photography studio. Franz Ginsberg, a man with great interest in practical science, did pioneering work, now completely forgotten, in colour photography. His company Franz Ginsberg & Co had factories which produced amongst other things soaps, candles, polish. the soap factory was set up at the same time as Lever Bros were setting up their factory in SA. His match factory, set up with a Mr Toenessen, ("Three Stars" brand) was the first in South Africa and was later (in 1915) bought by the still extant Lion Match Co. In order to house his workers closer to the factories Franz established the Ginsberg Location (now Township) just outside KWT. Many of Ginsburg's customers were German settlers who had originally fought as mercenaries for the Brithish during the Crimean War. He felt that their traditional farming was less profitable for them than it could have been. An avid cigar smoker, he introduced tobacco plants to KWT. He offered these farmers plants for free in order to encourage them to grow a more profitable crop. They were too hide-bound to exploit this philanthropic gesture! He also ran a tannery. Wattle bark is an ingredient in the tanning process, the bark of which he obtained from a wattle tree plantation which he had established near KWT.
Franz also became involved in diamond prospecting and was a director of the Kolmanskop Diamond Co. in Kolmanskop, Namibia.
His wife HEDWIG RIESER(1867-1955) was sent from Germany at the age of 18 years to live with her elder sister PAULA ARNHOLZ (nee Rieser) who lived in Rouxville (SA). Whilst on the german steamer she met a german speaking Mother Superior of a convent in KWT. This lady told Franz about the fine girl she had met on the steamer. On one of his business trips Franz stopped at Rouxville and called at the only Jewish household in the small town, the Arnholz family. He clled in there the next day. Shortly afterwards (date unknown) Hedwig became his bride.
Rudolf Ginsberg (1899-1969) was a son of Franz Ginsberg. his interests were inherited from his father. He was not only a member of the Provincial and Borough councils of King Williams Town but also its mayor (for which he declined the mayoral allowance). In addition he had a number of roles in educational administration including serving on the Rhodes University Council for over 20 years.
His industrial interests in KWT included: reviving King Tanning Company (Burgess and Co.), the Invo (KWT's Bantu newspaper), creating a large printing and packaging enterprise as well as developing the family soap and candle business.
Hewas also founder and President of the local Music Club and also president of the local amateur dramatic society.
Felix Ginsberg (1906-1983) Son of Gustaf Ginsberg (gr son of Nathan) and Edith Mendelsohn. Born in (?) South Africa died in USA. He was a musician of some note, a pianist and composer. Amongst his compositions is Suid - Afrika se eie liedjes a copy of whose score is in the University of Oxford library. Amongst his students was Harpo Marx. He invented music systems for the blind and wrote works for disabled (one handed) pianists including his transcriptions of Beethoven and Chopin works for the left hand. One of his own compositions was Left hand, right foot. He made recordings and radio programmes for radio stations such as KFAC, Los angeles. His television show The Felix de Cola show was nominated for the Emmy awards in 1948. I would like more informatiom about this remarkable man.
Dr Erich Eisner (1887-about 1939)He was the son of Louis Eisner and Emma Ginsberg, a sister of Senator Franz. Louis Eisner was a merchant in Striegau (Prussian Silesia). Erich was their only child. After attending the Städtische Progymnasium at Striegau, he attended Das Realgymnasium am Zwinger in Breslau. He studied medicine in Breslau, Zurich and Berlin and was fully qualified by 1911. Whilst in Zurich he boarded at 33 Feldeggstrasse with his aunt Bertha Ginsberg who was married to Leo Hanauer, the Interior Architect. his graduation thesis was dedicated to his uncle Franz Ginsberg in King Williams Town on the occasion of his 50th birthday. In 1936 Erich gave a lecture to the Reichsbund judischer Frontsoldaten in Hindenburg (Upper Silesia) about his illustrious uncle who had just died. This suggests to me that Erich may have served in the military in the WW1. He married Klara Zernick, who died of cancer in the 1930s. She was deprived of medical help as the Nazis forbade Jews to receive this. In about 1937, erich went to the USA, financed by Hedwig Ginsberg. During his trip there he spent a few days in manchester with the family of Emil Rindl. On arrival in the USA Erich successfully re-qualified, passing american examinations. He died around about 1939.
