Siegmund Geisenheimer, Bingen

Son of Wolf Geisenheimer and May b. Guttel (Isaac) from Bingen am Rhein; on January 1, 1809 marriage to the widow Fanny Kulp, b. Wetzlar (1769-1828); In addition to their two daughters, the couple raised the three children from Fanny Geisenheimer's first marriage to Moses Juda Kulp (1762-1806); in Düsseldorf he made his first experiences as a businessman and acquired foreign language skills; When he came to Frankfurt in 1795, the trained businessman already spoke several languages; in the banking house MA Rothschild & Sons he was promoted to chief accountant and authorized signatory; on May 1, 1809 he took over his wife Fanny's cloth and textile business in what was then Steingasse; combined his professional activity with social and educational reforms within the Frankfurt Israelite community; as a member of the hospital administration, he took over the reorganization of the Israelite men's health insurance fund at the turn of the century; he promoted talented students who, like himself, came from poorer backgrounds; his best-known initiative was the Frankfurt Jewish school "Philanthropin", which he founded with like-minded friends in 1804 with the support of Mayer Amschel Rothschild; a memorial plaque adorned the staircase in the Philanthropin's building at Rechneigrabenstrasse 14/16: "Siegmund Geisenheimer, born in Bingen, December 12, 1775, died in Frankfurt a. M., April 20, 1828 founded the Jewish Philanthropin in 1804 from which this school originated. Generations of our congregation thankfully bless his work. In honor of his memory, this plaque was erected by the Israelite community in Frankfurt a. M. "; In 1807 Siegmund Geisenheimer in Frankfurt am Main was one of the most active co-founders of the" Zur Aufstieg Morgenröthe "lodge, whose members included, for example, the publicist Ludwig Börne, the Paulskirche delegate Gabriel Riesser, the historian Isaak Marcus Jost and the scholar and reform pedagogue Michael Creizenach counted; died in Frankfurt am Main in 1828 and was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Battonnstrasse. --- its members included, for example, the journalist Ludwig Börne, the Paulskirche MP Gabriel Riesser, the historian Isaak Marcus Jost and the scholar and reform pedagogue Michael Creizenach; died in Frankfurt am Main in 1828 and was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Battonnstrasse. --- its members included, for example, the journalist Ludwig Börne, the Paulskirche MP Gabriel Riesser, the historian Isaak Marcus Jost and the scholar and reform pedagogue Michael Creizenach; died in Frankfurt am Main in 1828 and was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Battonnstrasse

Siegmund was a rather illustrious member of the Frankfurt Jewish community. At the age of 20, he joined the Rothschild banking firm, where in a short while he became head bookkeeper. Shortly thereafter he was permitted to permanently reside in the Ghetto. With Rothschild's financial backing, he founded the first Jewish high school in Europe, by the name of Philantropin,which taught the regular high school curriculum, in addition to all the subjects taught in the Yeshiwoth, and soon was developed to include the equivalent of 4 years of college, culminating w ith the "Abitur examination and degree. This was the first Jewish school in all of Europe which taught all humanistic subjects. By the time it was closed in 1938, it had over 1000 pupils.

He also was the founder of a Jewish old age home, and of the Free Mason Lodge.