MATTERSDORF - MATTERSBURG (since
1924)
Settlement Area
The center of the Jewish settlement in
Mattersdorf was located directly by the Wulka creek, where the synagogue took on
fundamental importance for the town’s development. Connected to the synagogue
was the town hall. The Rabbi’s house, which was owned by the community and
housed the current Rabbi for the length of his tenure, was also nearby.
Accross from the Jewish settlement, on the
other side of the Wulka was the cemetery. It was extended from the town center
to the area between the Wulka and the Meierhof estate. In 1644 was the first
documented to mention the Judengasse. In 1793 the Jewish Quarter consisted of a
closed settlement, which starkly distinguished itself from the Christians.
Despite continuous population increase in the 18th century no further
settlements were allowed in the Jewish Quarter.
The Mattersdorf Jews used every possibility to increase living space, splitting
up housing units, adding additional floors and expanding existing buildings,
which led to tighter living conditions. This resulted in increased spreading of
disease as well as rapid spreading of flames in the case of fires. At the
beginning of the 19th century the Jews were offered a settlement outside of the
Jewish Quarter- a row of houses in the former Hoffman Garden, the so-called ‘Neugebei,
as well as in Schießstatt-Anger, what is today Angergasse, or the so-called ‘Neiheisln’.
The Mattersdorf Jewish population were first free to choose their residence and
business locations after 1840 (Hungarian Reichstag Law, which granted Jews the
right to live and conduct trade and business in all of Hungary), which allowed
the legal assimilation of the Jews with the non-Jewish population; then, after
the so-called ‘Equalization’ of 1867
Patterns of Occupation
For the year 1744, the following
occupational pattern of the Mattersdorf Jews was reported:
“...approximately 45% had careers in trade- besides trade in horses, furs,
ribbon and rags, etc. a large number conducted ‘trade with various wares’.
Approximately 23% were involved in commercial production or handcrafts- among
them jobs such as tailor, distiller, butcher, brewer, etc. 21% belonged to the
service industry, such as servants, beer servers, bandsmen, etc. Surprisingly
high is the percentage of people involved in education, such as schoolmaster or
clerk: over 13%. Similar statistics can be found in other Jewish communities at
this time. Notably the brewing industry already had a long tradition at this
time, the most important brewery in Mattersdorf was owned by Jews until 1808.”
(Reiss und Hodik)
Jewish businesses in 1876
1 iron merchant
1 leather merchant
4 drapery merchants
7 mixed wares merchants
3 junk dealers
2 Nürnberg wares (toys and fancy articles in metal, carved wood and ivory)
merchants
1 wine merchant
1 crockery merchant
1 flour merchant
7 grocers
36 peddlers
4 rags collectors
2 butchers
1 fur merchants
1 carpenter
1 caterer
1 clockmaker
4 shoemakers
1 bookbinder
1 tailor
Source: Report of the Chamber of Business and Trade Ödenburg
1876
Jewish shops and businesses in 1936
Dr. Ernst Brandl Textiles
Degengasse 17
David Ellner
Textiles Degengasse 19
Heinrich Trebitsch Broom maker Degengasse 19
Israel Hirsch
Textiles and manufactured goods Degengasse 23
Gustav Hirsch Tailor
Degengasse25
Heinrich Schotten Iron trade Degengasse 9
Israel Deutsch Leather producer
Degengasse 27
Ludwig Klein Dress shop
Judengasse 1
Bernhard Sprinzelles & Sohn Textiles
Judengasse
Margarete Kohn Dairy products Judengasse
Emanuel Schön Mixed wares Judengasse
Ernst Donath Mixed wares
Judengasse
Elias
Gellis
Tobacco merchant Judengasse
Samuel Weiszberger Furniture and shoes Judengasse
Josef Streicher Textiles Judengasse 23
Rosa Schotten Mixed wares Judengasse 23
Max Schischa Machine trade Judengasse 25
Geschwister Schischa Embroidery Judengasse 25
Solon Schotten Mixed wares Judengasse 26
Leo Schotten Bedspring factory
Judengasse 26
Koscher Fleischbank Butcher Judengasse
Lazarus Gelles Butcher Judengasse 26
David Gelles Baker
Judengasse 27
Samuel Rosenberger Poultry fattening Judengasse 27
Isak
Wolf
Shoemaker Judengasse 27
Ignaz Weiss
Shoemaker Judengasse
Rudolf Woittitz Baker Judengasse
Rosa Breuer
Mixed wares Judengasse 16
Ignaz Hönigsberger Footwear Judengasse
Heinrich Moses
Textiles Judengasse
Moritz
Breuer
Dress shop Judengasse
Delka (Wilhelm Vogel) Footwear Judengasse
Salomon Gottesmann Textiles Judengasse
Bernhard Trebitsch Mixed wears Judengasse 2
Samuel Kerpels Söhne Colonial wares and spices
Königstraße 22
Martin
Roth
Furniture Königstraße 33
Witwe J. Kohn Printer’s shop
Königstraße 41
Jakob
Roth
Soda-water production Königstraße 43
Ignaz Sobelmann Colonial wares and spices
Königstraße 56
Alfred Bischitz
Shirt/blouse production Königstraße 54
Berta & Sofie Steinhof Fur
trade Königstraße
Paul
Steinhof
Machine embroidery Königstraße
Abraham Seifert Poultry
Winkelgasse
Adolf
Molnar
Bedsprings Bergergasse 2
Adalbert Nußbaumer Building materials
Bahnstraße
Heinrich
Stern
Watchmaker and jeweler Bahnstraße 2
Isidor
Benedikt
Textiles Bahnstraße 4
Samuel Schön & Söhne Mixed wares
Bahnstraße 4
Ester Benedikt
Grocery store Hauptstraße 54
Max
Kerpel
Oil shop Hauptstraße 39
Moritz Frischmann Building materials Kitaiblgasse
25
Hermine
Löbl
Schnapsverschleiß Winkelgasse 9
Sigmund
Löbl
Carpenter Winkelgasse 9
Samuel Schön & Söhne Pringting office
Wehrgasse
Source: Paul Hans (Hrsg.), 50 Jahre Stadtgemeinde Mattersburg. Heimatbuch der
Stadt Mattersburg zur 50. Wiederkehr des Tages der Stadterhebung, Mattersburg
1976, S. 195f.
The significance of the Jewish community Mattersburg
Because Mattersburg was home of the “Union
of Autonomous Orthodox Israelite Cultural Community of Burgenland” and the
union’s president Samuel Ehrenfeld, Chief Rabbi of Mattersburg, general
assemblies often took place here. Concerning such general assemblies, the
'Jüdische Presse' (Jewish Press) reported:
“All communities represented by their rabbis and cultural director.
Cultural President Isidor Deutsch greeted those present in the name of the
cultural community and wished them a prosperous session. The Union President,
Chief Rabbi Samuel Ehrenfeld, opened the session and reported on the
organization’s past year of activity.”
(Jüdische Presse)
On the occasion of the ten year anniversary of Burgenland’s annexation (to
Austria) on September 11, 1931, State President Miklas bestowed upon Chief Rabbi
Samuel Ehrenfeld the ‘Golden decoration for honor of services to the Republic
of Austria’. He explained:
“Rabbi Ehrenfeld, who worked in Mattersburg, the Jewish center of
Burgenland, is the most esteemed and commendable Jewish minister in Austria.”
(Austrian State Archive)
Shortly after the ceremony Chief Rabbi Ehrenfeld, because of his function as
representative of the Burgenland Jews, became a special target of Nazi
agitation. Following the events, the National Socialist weekly paper ‘Der
Kampf’, which appeared in Graz, described Austria as a
“Jewish Republic.” (Lichtenberger)
Yeshiva
The Yeshiva in Mattersdorf was a Talmud
academy, although considering the number of students, was rather insignificant.
“However to its credit, it had a reputation as one of the most
distinguished institutions of its kind in Hungary”. (Hodik)
Admission to the ‘Yeshiva’ was a stage
in the education,
“in which students, under the instruction of local Rabbis, were obliged
in higher studies of the Talmudic rabbinical literature. Most Rabbis, judges and
teachers completed this high school of Jewish scholarship.” (Hodnik)
In the 1920’s the Mattersdorf Yeshiva encountered financial hardships. The
continued existence could only be secured through a testamentary disposition.
The 'Jüdische Presse' reported:
“Thus Herr Moritz Leitner and his brothers bought an abandoned
residential building on Königstraße, which should be used as a residential
school for destitute Bachurim (students) of the local Yeshiva. In remembrance of
their father, Herr Avraham (Adolf) Leitner, it will be named ‘Ohel Avrohom’.”
(Jüdische Presse)
The Mattersdorf Yeshiva is carried on today in
‘Kiryat Mattersdorf’ in Jerusalem.
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