Silesian Families Home Page

Silesian Jewish Families Home Page

Welcome cousins and friends to this home page! The purpose of this page is to share family history and to facilitate communication among descendants of German Jewish families from Silesia.

Maintained by Will Yancey. Please e-mail any comments or suggestions to will@willyancey.com

Sources of Information

Sources for German Jewish genealogy. Citations to German Jewish genealogy or history.
Silesian Geography and Place Names. Citations to Silesian geography, such as old maps, new maps, place names, contemporary travel information, etc.

Breslau and its Jewish Communities - Websites

Breslau and Central Europe ...Jim Falk

Historical context of the Jewish community in Breslau

Breslau Friedhof
Breslauer Adressbücher ...www.Breslau-Wroclaw.de
End of German Breslau - 1945 ...Roger Moorhouse
FamilyMemory.org ...Stephen Falk
German Jewish Cemeteries - beginning with B - including Breslau ...International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies - Cemetery Project
Jüdischer Friedhof - Lohestraße ...www.Breslau-Wroclaw.de
Jüdischer Friedhof - Lohestraße ...SchalomNet Judentum
Judisch-Theologisches Seminar - Franckelscher Stiftung ...JewishEncyclopedia.com
Silesian Jewish Communities History ...JewishEncyclopedia.com

Breslau and its Jewish Communities - Books and print articles

Books and articles published prior to 1980 may be difficult to find. Most are at the Leo Baeck Institute and some are available from inter-library loan programs. Some day far in the future I hope digital images and translations of these will be posted on the web. If they are ever made available on the web, I will provide links to them from this web page.
Books published after 1980 are usually available from online booksellers.
The following list is sequenced by publication year or author.

"Zur Geschichte des juedischen Friedhofs in Breslau," In: Popularwissenschaftliche Monatsblaetter 23 (1903), S. 232-235.
"Auf dem Friedhof an der Lohestrasse" In: Juedisches Volksblatt (Breslau) 14 (1908), S. 161.
"Vom Friedhofe Cosel in Breslau" In: Juedisches Volksblatt (Breslau) 17 (1911), S. 305.
Wollstein; Sachs, "Der Friedhof an der Lohestrasse" In: Juedisches Volksblatt (Breslau) 17 (1911), S. 132, 140-141.
Markgraf, Herman, "Der Aelteste Judenkirchhof in Breslau" In: Mitteilungen aus dem Stadtarchiv und der Stadtbibliothek zu Breslau 12 (1915), S. 176-190.
Brann, Marcus, "Etwas von der schlesischen Landgemeinde," in Festschrift zum siebzigsten Geburtstage Jakob Guttmans, (Leipzig: Gustav Fock, GmbH, 1915), pp. 225-255.
Brann, Marcus, "Ein neuer Grabsteinfund in Breslau" In: Monatsschrift mr Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums 62 (1918), S. 97-107. ID # DS 135 G4 B66 B68 Source: Leo Baeck Institute
"Der alte Judenfriedhof in der Claassenstrasse". In: Wir Schlesier 4 (1923/24), S. 28-30.
Grotte, Alfred: "Die alten juedischen Friedhoefe in Breslau und Dyhemfurth" In: Breslauer juedisches Gemeindeblatt 3 (1926), S. 153-154.
Grotte, Alfred, Alte schlesische Judenfriedhoefe (Breslau und Dyherrnfurth) Mit 45 Abbildungen. (Berlin: G. Hackebeil, 1927). 43 p. illus. 25 cm. (Monographien zu Denkmalpflege und Heimatschutz, 1) Freimann, p. 280. ID # GT 3250 B7 G7 Source: Leo Baeck Institute
Kueter, Hubert, My Tainted Blood, (Polar Bear & Company, April 15, 2008).
Kupka, Elisabeth: "Das erste juedische Begraebnis auf dem Friedhofe Claassenstrasse in Breslau" In: Breslauer juedisches Gemeindeblatt 4 (1927), S. 171, 177.
Heppner, A.: "75 Jahre Friedhof Lohestrasse" In: Breslauer juedisches Gemeindeblatt 9 (1932), S. 4-5.
Bruelmg, Bernhard: Steineme Zeugen. "Ein neuer Grabsteinfund in Breslau" In: Breslauer juedisches Gemeindeblatt 13 (1936), Nr. 21, S. 12-13.
"Das erste Begrabnis auf dem neuen C)?lberg-Friedhof Pessach 1939". Eine "Breslauer" Erinnerung. In: Mitteilungen des Verbandes ehemaliger Breslauer und Schlesier in Israel (1974), Nr. 35, S. 16.
Matere, Norbert: "Dar liegt Ferdinand Lassalle begraben. Der Juedische Friedhof in Breslau," ehemals Lohestrasse. In: Mitteilungen des Verbandes ehemaliger Breslauer und Schlesier in Israel (1989), Nr. 53, S. 12.
Gleiss, Horst G. W.: "Hebraische Steingrabungen vor dem Ohlauer Tor. Die Geschichte des ersten juedischen Friedhofs in Breslau". In: Mitteilungen des Verbandes ehemaliger Breslauer und Schlesier in Israel (1990), Nr. 54, S. 16-17.
Schwerin, Kurt, "Die Juden im wirtschaftlichen und kulturellen Leben Schlesiens", Jahrbuch der schlesischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitaet zu Breslau XXV, Jan Thorbecke Verlag, 1984.
Tausk, Walter, Breslauer Tagebuch: 1933-1940. Berlin: Siedler, 1988.
Łagiewski, Maciej: Stary cmentarz zydowski we Wroclawiu. Wroclaw: Muzeum Architekmry, 1986, reissued 1995. {Polish}
Łagiewski, Maciej: Architekturmuseum in Wroclaw: Der alte juedische Friedhof in Wroclaw, Breslau.-Meckenheim: DruckCenter, 1988.-36 S.
Łagiewski, Maciej: Macewy moewia.- Wroclaw: Za- klad Narodowy, 1991.-214 S. {Polish}
Łagiewski, Maciej: Das Pantheon der Breslauer Juden, 1999, Nicolai, ISBN 3-87584-884-5. {German translation of Macewy moewia}.
Łagiewski, Maciej: Wrocławscy Żydzi 1850-1944 {Polish}. From the Wroclaw Historical Museum at http://www.muzeum.miejskie.wroclaw.pl/ksiegarnia/index.php?pop=2
Łagiewski, Maciej: Breslauer Juden, 1850-1944 {German translation of Wrocławscy Żydzi 1850-1944} From the Wroclaw Historical Museum at http://www.muzeum.miejskie.wroclaw.pl/ksiegarnia/index.php?pop=2
Lucas, Franz D., and Margret Heitmann, Geschichte und Kultur der Juden in Glogau, (Georg Olms Verlag, second edition, 1992).
Ziątkowski, Lesek, Dzieje Żydów we Wrocławiu, ISBN 83-7023-802-5. {Polish}
Ziątkowski, Lesek, Die Geschichte der Juden in Breslau, Wroclaw, 2000, ISBN 83-7023-805-X. {German translation of Dzieje Żydów we Wrocławiu}
van Rahden, Till, Juden und andere Breslauer: Die Beziehungen zwischen Juden, Protestanten und Katholiken in einer deutschen Gro&szlig: stadt von 1860 bis 1925. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Goettingen, 2001.
Hettling, Manfred; Reinke, Andreas; Conrads, Norbert, In Breslau zu Hause? Juden in einer mitteleuropäischen Metropole der Neuzeit, (Doelling Und Galitz Verlag, 2003), ISBN 3-935549-37-7. Collection of essays by various scholars.
Friedenrich, Harriet Pass, Female, Jewish, and Educated: The Lives of Central European University Women, (Indiana University Press, 2002), ISBN 0253340993.
Davies, Norman and Roger Moorhouse, Microcosm. Portrait of a Central European City. Jonathan Cape, 2002.
Oliven, Klaus, My Family History, (private printing, 2002). For information on obtaining a copy, please email will@willyancey.com
Fraenkel, Peter, No Fixed Abode: A Jewish Odyssey to Africa, (I. B. Tauris, 2005), ISBN 1850436266, http://www.ibtauris.com
Charles, Daniel, Master Mind: The Rise and Fall of Fritz Haber, the Nobel Laureate Who Launched the Age of Chemical Warfare, (Ecco Publishing, 2005), ISBN 0060562722.

Famous People with a connection to Breslau or Silesia

Some of these people were part of the Breslau's Jewish community and some were not. Some were born in Breslau. Some had an affiliation with a university or seminary in Breslau.

Anders, Günther (Philosopher and Antinuclear activist, 1902- 1992), http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/anders.htm
Anderssen, Adolf, (Chess Grandmaster, 1818 - 1879), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Anderssen
Bergius, Friedrich (Scientist, 1884 - 1949, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1931), http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Friedrich_Bergius
Born, Max (Scientist, 1882 - 1970, Nobel Prize in Physics 1954) - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Max_Born
Brann, Marcus (Historian, 1849 - 1920) - http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1408&letter=B
Buchner, Eduard (Scientist, 1860 - 1917, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1907) - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Eduard_Buchner
Cassirer, Ernst (Philosopher, 1874- 1945) - http://cassirer.metastudies.net
Cohn, Ferdinand Julius (Microbiologist, 1828- 1928) - http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de/de/breslau/history/personen/?id=1
Ehrlich, Paul (Scientist, 1854 - 1915, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1908) - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Paul_Ehrlich
Elias, Norbert (Sociologist, 1897 - 1990) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norbert_Elias
Geiger, Abraham (Rabbi, 1810 - 1874, founder of Reform Judaism) - http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=117&letter=G&search=geiger
Graetz, Heinrich (Historian, 1817 - 1891, author of Geschichte der Juden (History of the Jews)) - http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=408&letter=G
Gratz, Barnard (Merchant and Philanthropist, 1738 - 1801) - http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=417&letter=G
Gratz, Michael (Merchant and Philanthropist, 1740 - 1811) - http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=417&letter=G
Haber, Clara (Scientist, 1870 - 1915) - http://www.mscd.edu/~mdl/gerresources/frauen/chaber.htm
Haber, Fritz (Scientist, 1868 - 1934, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1918) - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Fritz_Haber
Hauptmann, Gerhart (1862 - 1946, Nobel Prize in Literature 1912) - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Gerhart_Hauptmann
Kempner, Friederike, (Author, 1836), http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/autoren/kempner.htm
Klemperer, Otto, (1885 - 1973) - http://www.concentric.net/~Onk145/Bio.htm
Kerr, Alfred, (Theater Critic and Author, 1867 - 1948) - http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/biografien/KerrAlfred/
Korn, Arthur (Inventor, 1870 - 1945, invented method of transmitting photographs that preceded fax machine) - http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/KORN_BIO.html
LaSalle, Ferdinand (Political Theorist, 1825 - 1864, founder of German Social Democratic Party) - http://www.bookrags.com/biography/ferdinand-lassalle/
Lenard, Phillipp (Scientist, 1862 - 1947, Nobel Prize in Physics 1905) - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Philipp_Lenard
Mommsen, Theodor (Author, 1817 - 1903, Nobel Prize in Literature 1902), http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Theodor_Mommsen
Morgenstern, Lina (Author and Feminist, 1830 - 1909) - http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=797&letter=M
Oliven, Fritz (Author, 1874-1956, author of Rideamus stories) - http://www.ufrgs.br/setordealemao/projetos_pesquisa/projeto_rideamus.htm
Selten, Reinhard (Economist, 1930 - , Nobel Prize in Economics 1994), http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Reinhard_Selten
Schottländer, Arnold, (Chess Grandmaster, 1854 - 1909) - http://www.breslau-wroclaw.de/de/breslau/history/personen/?id=35
Stein, Edith (Catholic Nun, converted from Judaism, 1891 - 1942), http://www.mscd.edu/~mdl/gerresources/frauen/estein.htm
Steinmetz, Charles Proteus (Inventor and Socialist, 1865 - 1923) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Steinmetz
Stern, Otto (Scientist, 1888 - 1969, Nobel Prize in Physics 1943), http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Otto_Stern
Steuben - Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben,(Military Officer in Prussia and the United States, 1730 - 1794), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_von_Steuben ...schooled in Breslau
Tarrasch, Siegbert (Chess Grandmaster, 1862 - 1934) - http://www.ballo.de/tarrasch_english.htm

Source Documents

Marcus Brann, 1915 Festschrift excerpt. This excerpt is an English translation of a letter written in 1763 together with Brann's annotations. This letter documents the connection between the Gratz brothers of Philadelphia and their siblings who remained in Silesia.
Bernhard Brilling, 1939 newspaper article. This article describes some of the first Jews in America and the Gratz brothers in particular.
Elisabeth "Doe" Freund's experiences as a forced laborer. This is an English transalation from her book Die Aufzeichnungen der Volkswirtin
Ludwig Haber: The Samurai and the Consul. This essay by Pater Fraenkel is a thorough story of the assasination of Ludwig Haber on August 11, 1874, in Hakodate, Japan.
Ludwig Haber's Grave. This essay by Michael Graetzer describes his September 1996 trip to the grave of Ludwig Haber, assasinated August 11, 1874, in Hakodate, Japan.
European Trip Report May 1997. This report describes Will and Marianne Yancey's trip to England and Wroclaw in May 1997 and includes comments on the Graetzer and Schottlaender family histories.

Maintained by Will Yancey. I am glad to add more relevant Web links or documents. Please e-mail any commens or suggestions to info@willyancey.com