Elias Heller

See https://sites.rootsweb.com/~erichl/krinec/heller_info.html

See http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~erichl/krinec/maendl_chron...

See http://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000024874831223 (sent by Pavel B.)

This chronicle was written by Joseph Maendl after making some genealogical research on his ancestors, who by chance they are mine too.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

This is a rather sketchy and incomplete attempt of an amateur to piece together the history of a Jewish family originating in central Bohemia - and of which I (Joseph E. Maendl) am a member - especially in respect to the tragic upheaval caused by Nazi terror in Europe.

This particular family comprises the descendants of one ELIAS HELLER [Elias Heller] and his wife JOSEFA nee MAUTNER [Josefine/Josefa Heller]

The families Heller and Mautner lived in the first half of the 19th century in the rural districts of central Bohemia - which is known, for it's fertile soil, as the "Golden Belt" of that country.

Intermarriages between the two families and others of similar background were frequent, possibly due to a lack of transportation at that time.(This seems to apply to families of gentiles of that period as well.)

I noticed that there were at least five marriages Heller-Mautner, one Mautner-Mautner, four Heller-Maendl and similar others.

Several marriages between first cousins took place: yet little evidence, if any, of some ill effects of this inbreeding can be seen.

It is worthwhile to note, that many of the older members of the Heller-Mautner-Maendl clans were tenants of relatively large farms (usually in the size of about 500 acres) belonging to the various dukes, counts and the lesser nobility of the country.

Five of the six sons of Elias Heller and three of his sons in law were such farmers. So were eleven members of the following generation and thirteen of the next. Similar figures apply to the families Maendl, Nohel and others. (encl.)

An explanation as to the reason for this rather curious fact would necessitate a study of the abolition of serfdom and bondage, together with the emancipation of the Jews in Austria during the first half of the 19th century. Although I did try to undertake such a study, I feel that it is beyond the scope of this report and do not want to elaborate on it at this time.

Yet, whatever the origin of the tenant-farmer occupation of the older generation may be, its effects on the economy, way of life and eventually the destiny of a large segment of the family seem important enough to describe some aspects of it at greater length.

The leases on the rented farms ran normally for six years. But, very often, they were continued for a long time – the lease being sometimes inherited from father to son.

In many instances until the First World War. These leased farms became a kind of homestead.

The various clans were often referred to, in the family parlance, as the Krinecer, Esteticer, Hiizovicer, Nupaker , Votelezer, Radimer, etc., even after the older members retired and lived in the cities.

Although in some cases the relationship between the leasee and the "Herr" leaser, represented by an overbearing manager was somewhat strained and lopsided. In general it seems that the arrangement worked out to the benefit of both sides. The nobility was spared the expense of a large, not always efficient and honest bureaucracy. On the other side, the long terms of the lease gave the tenant the opportunity, by his own diligence (and in later years by a better professional training) to improve the yield of the farm and so to increase his earnings and his standard of life. (Of course, the improved quality of the farm also raised its value to the owner and often resulted in the increase of the rent. Yet, in all fairness, it should also be stated, that the owner often contributed materially to the improvements).

Not all of the tenant-farmers became rich, or even moderately successful, but many of them did gradually achieve at least a certain amount of affluence; in later years they were able to buy their own farms. Besides, they could afford to give their children a better education. Where locally a secondary school was not available, they could send their kids to Prague and other cities. Many of these children preferred to remain in the city and did find a profession there to their liking. But many of them also chose to stay on their farms.

The "Land Reform" enacted by the new Czechoslovak Republic after the First world War, which broke up the large estates of the gentry, also threatened the existence of the Jewish tenant-farmers. But, as it eventually turned out, it also gave them a chance to acquire some of the so-called "Remainder-farms" which, though smaller, still could be managed efficiently. Of course, to many of the tenants it caused a severe hardship and anxiety, as they had to leave their old "homesteads".

Originally, most of the Jews, living in the Czech countryside, were bilingual (Czech and German), although their schooling was mostly German.

During the second half of the 19th century, the growing influx of the younger generation to the cities produced a polarization: those who lived in German speaking cities, including many who came to Prague, were germanized: those who moved to Czech towns, or remained in the rural districts, became Czech oriented. And it was this segment of the family, which suffered most during the Second World War.

Elias Heller and his family lived in the little town of Krinec, about 12 km N.W. ot Nymburk in Bohemia.

An inscription, written in Czech, Hebrew and German on a dedication plaque placed in the mortuary or the Jewish Cemetery in Krinec reads in part: “ … Elias Heller’s son Vojtech, in compliance to the wish of his father, donated a parcel of land from the family farm to found this cemetery …”

Elias born in 1800, “was called to join his fathers" on November, 21, 1884. He was the first one - and for a long time the only one to be interred there.

His wife Josefa, nee Mautner in 1813, passed away 13 years later and was buried next to his grave.

Her gravestone bears her name and the date of her death – March 1,1897 - in Czech and German. Then the following inscription written in Czech only. This is the literal translation of that inscription. (encl. 2)

"On her grave are mourning her 11 children, 51 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, to whose welfare, just as to compassion towards her neighbors she dedicated her life. Peace to her ashes."

(Holger's note: The oral family tradition as put down by Herta changes to “Zemrela jedna stara zidovka a prezila ji osmdesat; zidacku" which inadequately translates to: "One old Jewess died and was survived by 80 Jew kids”).

An obit, printed at the time of her funeral, lists the names of all her children and the names of their sons, and daughters-in-law. The name of the husband of her daughter Frantiska (Fani) Katz [Franziska (Amalia) Katz] is missing, which implies that he was already deceased at the time. (Encl - 3)

A copy of a typewritten transcript of her last will (very well written in German) is attached in (Encl-4)

The obit and the transcript of her last will are in possession of Leon Heller Leon Heller] and his sister Grete Lichtner [Grete Lichtner] in Santiago de Chile (Erich’s note: They are both deceased, and their children are not interested on any connection with the family).

Through the kind help of many of my relatives I was able to assemble an almost complete tabulation of the descendants of these great-grandparents of mine, with the exception of the line starting with one of their aughters- Frantiska Katz - about which I have no information whatsoever.

Of the 51 grandchildren mentioned on Josefa Heller's gravestone, I could find the names of all but four - possibly some of the children of Fani Katz.

(Note by Holger[Holger Ewald Heller]: In the genealogical tables made by my father Ewald, Fanny (German spelling!) born 10 Sept 1844- deceased 27 February 1907, is shown married to one Josef Katz. Their daughter Jetty [Henriette Kraus] was married to Sigmund Kraus. A blank rectangle shows Fani had a sibling, name or other particulars unknown).

My tabulation is listing over 350 persons (although many of their names are still missing), including about 115 in Laws. It has 7 pages and it is an integral part of this study. (Encl-5)

The entries are numbered separately for each generation to facilitate a further reference.

In addition, I used the following markings:

(B) denotes that the person died before 1940

(A) denotes that the person died after 1945

(N) denotes that the person was killed by the Nazis.

However, I want to emphasize that these marks have been used only tentatively. My informations in this respect are very incomplete, as I was loath to ask the close relatives of the many victims the pertinent; questions, reviving so their sorrow.

Even so, the number of victims of Nazism is staggering.

The F-2 generation, consisting in 1939 mostly of older people, was hit hardest: Of the 54 members of that generation, who were living at that time in Bohemia, 36, that is 66%, perished.

On the same basis, the F-3 generation lost 19 out of 68 members and the F-4 generation 5 out of 9.

The total amounts to about 60 out of 130 - almost 50%. Some of these unfortunate people were killed shortly after their capture. Some died in the notorious concentration camps, or the gas chambers in Oswieczin (Aushwitz). Many of them, mainly the old ones and the sick were deported to destinations (mostly unknown) in the East and murdered there. Their tragic sufferings unknown and their graves lost forever.

The appaling figures, mentioned above, would have been much higher, were it not for the fact that the majority of the members of two of the family’s l1 lines lived in 1939 already outside Central Europe.

In view of the foregoing, it actually seems amazing and it may reflect on the vitality of the family, that I could locate about 120 descendants of Elias and Josefa Heller, living at present (1970).

Naturally, the events described above , caused an explosive dispersal of the surviving part of the family to all corners of the world.

I was tempted to piece together the histories of the various clans, but I realized that such a study could be only very incomplete for obvious reasons: In the first place, as I have already stated, I did not want to deive in the sorrowful memories of the survivors. Then, let’s face it, most people do not want to rummage for skeletons in the closets. I respect their feelings and therefore I am limiting my search for statistical data only. On the basis of these data, I could compile: (Encl. 6)

1./ A list of the names, addresses and sometimes the occupation of the senior members of each clan and of some of their children. (Encl. 7)

2./ A tabulation showing the domicile of Living members of the family in various countries of the world, arranged in separate columns for each generation. (Encl. 8)

This tabulation shows, to the best of my knowledge, the present doyen of the family is Arthur Nohel [Arthur J Nohel], the only surviving grandson of Elias Heller in 1970.)

The assimilation of the younger members of the family to their new habitat is evident by comparison of the first names of the F-V generation with the names of generations F-I to F-III.

Genetically, one facet of the main tabulation (encl. 5) seems to be odd and hard to explain: Whereas the number of male and female descendants of generation F-l, F-2, F-4 and F-5 shows the normal ratio of 1:1, this ratio in F-3 is 2:1 in favor of the males.

Another aspect of the tabulation may be significant: Whereas intermarriages with other ethnic groups in generations F-I (and presumably in previous generations) were nonexistent, three such marriages took place in F-II and their numbers increased in generations that followed. According to my estimate, only 27 out of 54 (i.e. 50%) of the great-grandchildren of Elias Heller were of purely Jewish background. In the F-V generation, already 65% are to various degrees of mixed ethnic origin, namely Jewish, Czech, German, Italian, English, Scottish, etc.

Even if these figures should not be entirely correct, a definite trend is evident. And this trend seems not to be confined to the "mixing pot" of North America only.

Whether this trend is desirable or not on some general principle is. To say the least, a moot quetion, which in itself may be of no importance.

On a personal note, let me just mention an old czech proverb: "Love Knows no argument" (Proti lazce zadny disputat), therefore any argument pro, or con, is superfluous.

As an addendum, I would like to say that I was not able to trace the origin of the family and of the name "Heller". I know that the name pops up in Bohemia in the seventeenth century (viz: The ill-fated reb Yom Tob Heller Lipman), but any further search I must leave to some competent genealogist. Anyway, I was much more interested in the present progeny than in the past ancestry of the family.

The name "Mautner" originated, according to the opinion of one second cousin, during the reign of emperor Joseph II of Austria (1780-1790). But this opinion may, or may not be substantiated.

The name "Maendl" seems to have been first used by one Markus Maendl in Cesky Brod. His ancestors used the rather common name "Mendel", which is a kind of diminutive of either Menachem or Emanuel.

(A note contributed by Holger: I have heard my father Ewald affirm that the Heller’s belong to the tribe of Levi (which is not- evident from the name). Heller designated, presumably, a man from the town called Halle an der Saale, in Germany. From where stems the synonymous name of the small coin ?

Mautner may refer to the profession of collecting toll ("Maut" in German) at bridges or road stations.

Joseph II of Austria, to my knowledge required all his Jewish subjects to acquire family surnames just like the Christians, in the course of their emancipation. Formerly they had names of the kind "Elias ben Ascher".In Ewald's tables, Ascher's name is also rendered as "Seligman" which is a Germanization of the traditional Hebrew name "Ascher" which means "Happy, blessed", in German "Seelig". His domicile was Schlan (Slany, where Eva [Private User] and Dorle [Dora Heller] spent their vacations once to improve their knowledge of the Czech language, back in the 1930ies): Ascher-Seliqman [Seligman Heller] died in Liban, with a hacek on the n. in 1808 when his son, our patiarch Elias was 8 years old.

Now back to Joseph Maendel's text:

As I stated before, my study is sketchy, incomplete and amateurish in many respects. (Anyway, a biography of a family is never finished, as Long as there are living descendants of that family)

I have lust completed the 72nd year of my life. My time is running out. And now, that I have assembled most of the data which are, or may become available to me, my problem is to find somebody who would be willing to read my report.

I will be satisfied if some of the older members of the clan will keep it as a memento of times past: I should be very pleased if some of the younger members of the family would find it of interest: and if, by some remote, but, as I hope still possible chance - somebody, someday will want to amend it and to follow the future fortunes of the clan. I shall be delighted.

Santa Monica, June 24 1970

(Signed) Joseph E. Maendl [Josef Maendl]