R. Abraham Israel Frank

The members of the family Frank, who could be found in Wittlich between 1844 and 1936, belonged to the eminently respectable citizens of Wittlich. The textile store Frank was famous in the whole region as a well assorted store and people came from the Moselle and from the Eifel to buy solid, durable and reasonably priced goods there. The three owners Israel Frank, his son Isaak Frank and his grandson Emil Frank were regarded as strenuous and wealthy. Moreover, all these three men were leaders in the Jewish community because of their religious attitude and their spiritual charisma.

The salesman and Rabbi Israel Frank, born 1804 in Osann, son of Nathan Frank and his first wife Vogel Herz from Aach, moved with his big family, his wife Malkay Bender-Isay, her two sons from her first marriage with Joseph Bender in Münstermaifeld and his own 4 children from Osann to Wittlich in 1844, after his application for the position as chief rabbi of Trier had been rejected. Just in time Israel had purchased a bigger estate in the “Trierer Gasse”, today called “Trierer Strasse”, for his family. According to an insurance contract of July 23, 1857 his house was a massively stone-built and roof-slate covered house with a stable and a rear building, all parts arranged around a courtyard and an additional barn, situated in 100 meters distance at the lane “Hinter der Mauer” (like it is shown in the attached map). Parts of the former house are still existing.

(Source: Maria Wein-Mehs: Juden in Wittlich (1808-1942), Wittlich 1996, p. 551.)

Israel Frank dealt with textiles and natural products. He opened his textile store first with a partner and the company was called “Krug & Frank”. Moritz Krug was an Israelitic teacher, who married Sara Jüdel in Wittlich in 1836. Perhaps because of unemployment as a teacher he made his living from trading textiles. In 1849 he separated from Frank (in friendship) and from this time one both ran their own businesses.

In the above mentioned insurance contract besides of the normal household equipment also precious things are introduced to us which could not be find in other Jewish households, as for example a golden and a silver pocketwatch, silver dishes: 18 spoons, 12 coffee-spoons, 2 table-knifes, sugar-tongs, a salt pitcher and mugs, 2 golden chains, several rings and earrings. […] All these things together were esteemed about 13.050 Reichstaler.

[A description of the house follows, which is also depicted in the plan below]

(Source: Maria Wein-Mehs: Juden in Wittlich (1808-1942), Wittlich 1996, p. 554.

What should be added to the programme of the building is, that a later resident of this house, Grete Bender-Bär, told us, that according to the memories of her mother, there had been a Mikwe on this estate. Since Israel Frank was a rabbi with a strong belief and long time head of the Jewish community, the presumption seems to be reasonable, that he installed a Jewish womens’ bath on his own estate, to be able to supervise the compliance with the rules and regulations of the womens’ ritual bath.

(Source: Maria Wein-Mehs: Juden in Wittlich (1808-1942), Wittlich 1996, p. 555.)

In 1899 the two oldest sons of Israel Frank and Amalie Isay, Isay Frank and Simon Frank, ran together a trading business with typical regional products in Wittlich. But they both left Wittllich and moved to Trier. Simon Frank later died in Wittlich and was buried in the Jewish cemetery of Wittlich.

Israel Frank was one of the first business-people in Wittlich who used advertisements in the local newspaper, to advertise his goods. He only advertised in spring and in autumn. Between 1860 and 1870 those ads were quite small, but big enough to announce that he bought the latest products from the Leipzig Fair and could sell them now without intermediary trade for the cheapest prices. This was his simple but successful receipt.

[Following a description about his standing in the Wittlich community and how the citizens appreciated him, and a description of his and his wife’s tomb stone on the Wittlich Jewish Cemetery]

(Source: Maria Wein-Mehs: Juden in Wittlich (1808-1942), Wittlich 1996, p. 556.)

Translated by Barbara Schulte