Katie Rosengarten

Katie Rosengarten was born in Sokolniki, Austria. Her birth certificate names her as Keila Goldfarb. Her mother is listed as Maryem Cyna Goldfarb 2im (See note 1), from Sokolnik?, daughter of Chaim and Frimet Goldfarb from Sokolnik, Sura Grabvaskawas the midwife. Samuel Just was recorded as a witness. Probably to the acuracy of the document, not the birth. Her father is not listed and in the box she is recorded as illegitimate.

In Austria/Galicia at the time if a couple married "religiously" and using the father's surname was not using the correct surname. If this marriage was not recorded in the civil registers maintained by the local Jewish Community registrar, then this "religious" marriage was not recognized by the Government. All children born to this couple without a "civil" marriage would be considered illegitimate and, under Austrian law, would be considered a child of the mother only -- using her surname. Jewish "civil" marriages in Galicia during this period could only be performed by a Rabbi appointed by the Austrian Crown. Many Jews ignored this requirement and were married by a Rabbi who did not have authority to officiate a civil marriage. This was often the case when famialies could not raise the wedding tax payable.

In the case of Cyna and Lazarus, they were must have married in Galicia in about 1889 in a "religious" ceremony. They had 3 children which we found birth certificates for and were all born illegitimately as stated on the certificates.

Some couples had a second marriage ceremony -- this one officiated by the Crown-authorized Rabbi. All Children born previously were suddenly legitimate and could officially use the fathers surname. All children born after the official marriage, were legitimate at birth.

NOTE1

2im, is a Latin abreviation for 'double name', meaning she has 2 first names. This is very common on Galician birth records whenever there is a double first name. European Jews did not have a first and middle name, they had 2 first names which could be used either together or separately, interchangably.