Rudolf Haas

As translated by Helen Medak:

"In my youth I spent my school vacation in grandfather's [Abraham Haas] house (my grandmother died young) with many of my cousins.

These vacations count to the earliest and nicest memories of my youth. Starting with the 6 to 8 hour long train ride and a 6 km long carriage ride from the station to the village quite a sensation at that time.

My grandfather worked extremely hard and diligent and made a considerable fortune. His 6 sons and 3 daughters were brought up by him and he retired on his 70 birthday, which celebration I remember quite well.

He had bought and moved into a small house with a lovely garden in Leipnik. He also bought the brewery and farm in Thein from Furstin Hertzfeld and left of his sons (Adolf born 1842 ) and (Julius) in charge. The firm was registered as 'A.Haas Soehne' and added in the 1890 a malt factory in Littau near Olmutz and later a second one in Prossnitz. The firm was the second largest in its field and exported the famous 'Hannamalz' all over the world.

The business in Thein was handed over to a third son (Berthold) but failed. After the death of the original founders, the firm of A.Haas Sohne was taken over by their sons Anastasius (son of Adolf) and Erwin (son of Julius) until their deportation and murder by the Nazis in 1941.

All of my father's brothers lived in Moravia with the exception of one brother - Jonas - who was deaf and dumb and worked in my father's firm in Vienna.

All of my father's brothers and sisters were married and had many children.

My grandfather had about 50 grand- and great-grand children when he died in 1904 at the approximate age of 90 years.