From: bernie@resntl.bhp.com.au Przemysl (now in Poland, was Galicia) The document is called "Aus der Geschichte der Juden in Przemysl" ("From the History of the Jews in Przemysl") by Prof. Dr. Moses Schorr, Vienna, 1915. I took a photocopy during my brief visit at the Yivo Institute (archive in Eastern European Jewry) in NY in December last year. The summary translation is as follows: ---- "At the time of writing the Jewish community is 350 years old, all of them exiled by the Czar. There had been 18000 souls. They were respected as accountants (money managers for other people) since 1466. They had come to Poland from Bohemia, Germany and Lithuania. After the town passed to Austria in the 19th century the Jewish population expanded rapidly. In 1559 they get official permission to settle, buy houses and enjoy all freedoms of the town. Other citizens are asked to do them no harm. A further statute by King Stephan Batory - 1576 - gives them the vote for their own community leaders but their choice must be affirmed by the state government body concerned. Similar statutes are issued elsewhere in Poland. This gave the communites internal autonomy and the "four state synods" arose from this. These councils consisted of outstanding rabbis and officials. They guided all Jewish religious and social life, a voluntary subordination of the people to a central organisation of their choosing. The Jewish community had to fit into the existing social strata, minor aristocracy, officials, clergy and the citizens of the town with their commerce and trade guilds. Sometimes this led to trouble because these organisations felt they had certain exclusive rights. Boths sides accused each other of unfair competition. In 1630 Moszko Szmuklerz was tortured and burned at the stake for "desecration of the host". In 1630 a contract between artisans, merchants and Jews is made. But, their "freedoms" are limited, they are allowed to sell only to Jews and only in the Jewish quarter. This contract proved to restrictive and the Jews broke it. The community survived 2 wars, 1648/9 and 1656/7 relatively unscathed. Some Jewish companies fought along side the Polish ones, never the less the Jews suffered much from the military passing through the town. They were so impoverished that they were granted permission to raise a loan from the aristocracy or the clergy agains their own synagogue. In 1662 there were 80 Jewish merchants mostly small shopkeepers, some jewellers, some apothecaries and one who delt in guns, armorments and various utensils of war. The end of the 17th and beginnig of the 18th centuries show a decline in the economical position of the Jewish community which mirrors a decline of the town itself as well as the whole Polish State. Taxes rise. The Jews owed 150,000 Polish Guilders. Their fate improved with the rise of the town in the 19th century and the advent of railway. Part 2: There is no consistent record of cultural and spiritual life. Contact with the Jews in Turkey is mentioned and in about mid 1500 some Turkish Jews settled in Przemysl. They renovate their synagogue - with permission and restriction of the Catholic diocese. In 1638, after the whole ghetto had burned down, the Jews of Przemysl were granted a "privelege" in that all Jews from surrounding settlements had to contribute to the upkeep of the synagogue and the cemetery and they had to use these facilities. Przemysl is referred to as a great city of learning, on p. 23 is a list of Rabbis and the community officials of Przemysl often are cited alongside representitives of the largest communities in Poland. There were 2 or 3 doctors of medicine or otherwise during this period of the late Middle Age - Early Modern Age. The community ran several welfare institutions: a hospital (Elias Hirt, Industrialist) another Hospital (Moses Hirt) a school for waifs (merchant Leiser Sans ??) a Talmud-Thora school (Mrs. Perl Tremner- Pastemack S.A.). Of the 18,000 Jews 1200 are tax payers (1914). In 1914 the annual budget was 140,000 Kronen. This document was written to celebrate and pay homage to the liberation of the fortress Przemysl on May 22 1915 by Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria Hungary." ---- Dick, if you are interested in a copy I can snail mail you one. Otherwise you could write to Yivo. Sophie Caplan, president of the Sydney JGS is planning on doing a complete translation some time, but is flat out, so no idea when that may happen. If you'd like to, then that's great. It's 28 pages in length. >In addition, I'd be interested in what format you used for a letter to the >Archives. OK. I wrote a standard letter in English and had a friend translate it to Polish for me. I used the same letter to send to 8 other archives with lots of success. Copies below: ---- Dear Sir/Madame, R.E. Help needed with Family History Research My name is Bernard Orenstein and I am attempting to research my family history. A book with a chapter on Polish Genealogy suggested I write to you in the hope of discovering some information about my relatives. I would be interested in any records of civil registration (akta stanu cywilnego), tombstone inscription s (nagrobki i tablice), printed funeral sermons (druki), marriage records (allegata do akt slubu), notarial records (akta notarialne), wills (testamenty), county court documents (akta wiejskie), city documents (akta miejski), guild records (akta cechowe), passports (akta paszportowe), universit y and school records (akta instytucji), military records (akta wojskowe), court records (akta instytucji wymiaru sprawiedliwoszi), genealogicl collections (kolekcje genealogiczne), land records (dokumenty gruntowe), mortgage registers (akta hipoteczne) or anything else you may have to do with the following people and their families: o Simon Orenstein (my great-great grandfather), born in Przemysl, Poland (but possibly in Warsaw or Poznan) around 1825. Died 30th March 1891 in Berlin. Burried in Weissensee Cemetery in Berlin. o Henrietta Orenstein nee Gieldzinski/a (my great-great grandmother), born 26th April, 1828 in Torun. Wife of Simon Orenstein. Died 4th November, 1901 in Berlin. Burried in Weissensee Cemetery. o Adolf Gieldzinski/a (my great-great-great uncle), born probably in Torun around 1820. Brother of Henrietta Gieldzinski/a. o Benno Orenstein (my great grandfather), born in Poznan on 2nd August, 1851. Son of Simon Orenstein and Henrietta Gieldzinski/a. Died on 11th April, 1926 in Berlin. Burried in Weissensee Cemetery. o Max Orenstein (my great-great uncle). Born probably in Poznan around 1850. Brother of Benno Orenstein. Son of Simon Orenstein and Henrietta Gieldzinski/a. Married Elizabeth (probably Bunzel). Date and place of death unknown. o Any records of other people with the surname Orenstein. o Any records of other people with the surname Gieldzinki or Gieldzinka. I will gladly pay for any research, photocopying or mailing fees involved. Any other suggestions or contacts you may have would also be gladly appreciated. I thank you for reading this letter and hope that you can help me. I look forward to your correspondence. Your sincerely, ---- dot. Badania historii rodowej Szanowni Panstwo, Nazywam sie Bernard Orenstein i zajmuje sie historia mojej rodziny. Przeczytana przeze mnie literatura na temat genealogii polskiej sugeruje ze Wasza Instytucja moze mi pomoc w poszukiwaniu informacji o moich przodkach. Interesuja mnie wszelkie dokumenty, jak: akta stanu cywilnego, nagrobki, tablice, druki, akty slubu, testamenty, akta notarialne, hipoteczne, gminne, miejskie, cechowe, paszportowe, szkolne, uniwersyteckie, wojskowe, sadowe, oraz inne dokumenty dotyczace osob wymienionych ponizej i ich rodzin: o Szymon Orenstein (moj pra -pra- dziad), urodzony najprawdopodobniej w Przemyslu ( inne mozliwosci to Warszawa lub Poznan), okolo roku 1825. Zmarl 30 marca 1891 w Berlinie, pogrzebany na cmentarzu Weissensee w Berlinie. o Henrietta Orenstein z domu Gieldzinska ( moja pra- pra- babka), urodzon a 26-go kwietnia 1929 w Toruniu, zona Szymona Orensteina. Zmarla 4-go listopada 1901 w Berlinie, pogrzebana na cmentarzu Weissensee w Berlinie. o Adolf Gieldzinski (brat Henrietty) urodzony w Toruniu, okolo roku 1820. o Benno Orenstein (moj pra- dziad) urodzony w Poznaniu 2-go sierpnia 1851. Zalozyciel firmy O&K Orenstein & Koppel i jej naczelny dyrektor przez 50 lat. Syn Szymona Orensteina in Henrietty Gieldzinskiej. Zmarl 11-go kwietnia 1926 w Berlinie. Pogrzebany na cmentarzu Weissensee tamze. o Max Orenstein (brat Benno). Urodzony prawdopodobnie w Poznaniu okolo roku 1850. Syn Szymona Orensteina i Henrietty Gieldzinskiej. Poslubil Elzbiet e (z domu prawdopodobnie Buenzel). Data smierci i miejsce pogrzebu nieznane. o Inne osoby o nazwisku Orenstein lub Gieldzinski/a Z checia pokryje koszty urzedowe zwiazane z poszukiwaniem akt, kopiowaniem, oraz wszelkie oplaty pocztowe. Bede sie takze czul zobowiazany za jakiekolwiek inne wskazowki i adresy. Bardzo dziekuje za przeczytanie mego listu i mam nadzieje, ze zechcecie mi Panstwo pomoc. z powazaniem ---- I've fully document the research and it's planned to be published in the next Australian AJS Journal. Bernie --- Bernard Orenstein, Software Engineer Information Systems Research Group BHP Research - Newcastle Laboratories PO Box 188, Wallsend, NSW 2287, AUSTRALIA Phone: +61-49-510-608 Fax: +61-49-513-740 E-mail: bernie@resntl.bhp.com.au