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This project attempts to identify and collect Jewish individuals from or connected to this town in the Posen area. Not to be confused with other towns of the same name in the Czech Republic or elsewhere.
The formerly independent village of Borek is located ca.2 km east of Rokycany's town center. It is a small town in the Posen district, formerly in the Grand Duchy of Posen. Nearby is Krotoszyn.
Mentioned for the first time in 1390 („Borek villa ad distr. Rokyczan“).[1] In the 15th century the village was abandoned to be resettled in the 17th century as a small cluster of dwellings centered on the iron mill.[2] It grew further in the 18th and 19th centuries, covering most of the elevated peninsula of Borecký rybník Lake. During the 19th century the built-up area expanded southwards, to the proximity of the major Prague-Plzeň road.
In 1960 Borek came under the jurisdiction of Rokycany. In the 20th century the built-up area of Borek further expanded amalgamating the village with Rokycany.
Borek means wood, and there are several towns with this name in Poland. To correctly designate this town in the Geni place function for birthplace or death place please use the identifier "Borek Rokycany" . The computer will then provide the correct location name.
Luft, The Naturalized Jews of the Grand Duchy of Posen in 1834 and 1835 revised edition, published by Avotaynu, in 2004, lists the town of Krotoszyn in the county of Krotoszyn which had 126 Jews who achieved citizenship in the time period. Lesser numbers were noted in the towns Kozmin (48), Kobylin (15), Borek (20), Dobrzyce (6) and Zduny (23). Names in Borek include Itzig Filehne who was a Tavern and Barkeeper owner in 1834. Also Joel Fuchs who was a Barkeeper in 1834. Alexander Kohn was a General Practitioner. Jacob Kohn was a farmer and involved with brandy?. Nathan Neustadt was described as a Merchant and bartender and perhaps a bar owner. Elkan Strassmann was a bartender.Joseph Thorner was a Bartender. For the details of what the naturalization opportunity meant to the Jews of these towns of the Grand Duchy of Posen you may refer to Heinrich EDUARD von Flottwell
From the International Jewish Cemetery Project:
"BOREK WIELKOPOLSKI: Prussia Coat of arms of Borek Wielkopolski Alternate names: Borek Wielkopolski [Pol], Borken [Ger], Börke, Borek. 51°55' N, 17°15' E, 36 miles SSE of Poznań (Posen), 11 miles SE of Koźmin (Koschmin). 1871 Jewish population: 379. Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), I, pp. 309-310: "Borek" #1. Gmina Borek Wielkopolski is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Gostyń County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Borek Wielkopolski, which lies approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) east of Gostyń and 59 km (37 mi) south-east of the regional capital Poznań. The gmina 2006 total population is 7,724 (Borek Wielkopolski at 2,486). Apart from the town of Borek Wielkopolski, Gmina Borek Wielkopolski contains the villages and settlements of Bolesławów, Bruczków, Celestynów, Cielmice, Dąbrówka, Domanice, Dorotów, Frasunek, Głoginin, Grodnica, Jawory, Jawory PGR, Karolew, Koszkowo, Leonów, Liż, Maksymilianów, Osówiec, Siedmiorogów Drugi, Siedmiorogów Pierwszy, Skoków, Skokówko, Stawiszyn, Strumiany, Studzianna, Trzecianów, Trzecianów Osiedle, Ustronie, Wycisłowo, Wygoda, Zacisze, Zalesie and Zimnowoda. [April 2009]
Jews from here were subordinate to the Leszno kahal and also used the cemetery in Leszno. [May 2009]
CEMETERY: Area is 0.25 hectares. Burial list: Dariusz Czwojdrak, Muzeum Okregowe, Dzial Judaistyczny, ulica Estkowskiego 2, 64-100 Leszno, Poland, darek3@polbox.com and sent by Scott Clark, Cincinnati, Ohio, clarkcs@email.uc.edu
US Commission No. POCE000306
Alternate German name: Grossburg. Borek Wielkopolski is in Leszczynskie region at 51°55 17°15, 52 km from Leszno, 56 km from Kalisz, and 72 km from Poznan. Cemetery: ulica Lisla. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
Town: Burmistrz Eugeniusz Bindrowski, 63-810 Borek Wlkp., ulica Powstancow Wlkp. 26/2, tel. 52. Town: Urzad Miejski w Borku Wlkp., ulica Rynek 1, tel. 60, 88, 20. Local: Marian Bajzelt, Urzad Miejski w Borku Wlkp. Regional: Ewa Piesiewicz, Panstwowa Sluzba Ochrony Zabytkow, ulica Mickiewicza 5, 64-100 Leszno, tel. 20-63-83, 20-22-83. The earliest known Jewish community dates from September 1464 (?).1921 Jewish population was 34 (1.6%). The cemetery was used by the community of Pogorzela (12 km away) as well as by the Conservative community of Borek Wielkopolski, but is not landmarked. The isolated suburban flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all with no wall, fence, or gate. The pre- and post-WWII size is 0.25 hectares. Less than 20 gravestones survive with only a few toppled or broken and none in the original locations. About 30 gravestones were incorporated into the little house adjacent to the cemetery. The oldest known gravestone belongs to Henriette Worman, 28 Tishri 5640 (1880). The flat-shaped marble and sandstone tombstones with Hebrew and German inscriptions date from the 19th-20th centuries. The municipality owns the cemetery property used for agriculture, storage, and waste dump. Within the limits of the cemetery are some farm buildings and a pre-burial house. Properties adjacent are residential and agricultural. Private individuals and local residents visit rarely. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II. Almost all of the gravestones were stolen after the war. No maintenance. Security and vandalism are very serious threats. Weather erosion is a moderate threat; vegetation overgrowth and nearby development are slight threats.
Dariusz Czwojdrak, 67-400 Wschowa, ul Lipowa 22a/4 completed survey on 27 August 1991 after a visit on 11 August 1991. Eugeniusz Bindrowski was interviewed on 25 August 1991 in Borek Wielkopolski.
Last Updated on Monday, 25 May 2009 10:25"
Extensive and detailed history of the Jewish presence in Borek is available on the Sztetl site here:
[www.sztetl.org.pl/pl/miejscowosci/b/1312-borek-wielkopolski/99-historia-spolecznosci/137108-historia-spolecznosci]
From the Steinheim Institute Rabbiner Handbuch list of Rabbi:
Jaraczewsky, Adolph, Dr., b. April 29, 1829 in Borek, Prov. Posen, d. 25th June 1911 in Mühringen near Horb, Württemberg.
Labaszynski, Joseph, also J. Labaschinski, b. in Gniezno, Prov. Posen, died 1894 in Borek.
Michael b. Zwi, d. 1 July 1849 in Borek, Prov. Posen.
Neustadt, Pinkus, Dr., b. 17 Sept. 1823 in Borek, Prov. Poznan, d. Feb. 24, 1902 in Wroclaw.
Wolffssohn, Aron, b. Sept. 5, 1788 in Borek, Greater Poland, died May 15, 1830 in Hildesheim.
From the List of Surnames of Local Families at the Juden im Deutschen Reich site www.online-ofb.de Each of these named people can be investigated in more detail at the site to reveal parents, spouses and children.
BROMBERGER, Michael * 1801 in Borek, + vor 01.12.1871
FABISCH, Max * 29.06.1864 in Borek, + 1929 in Hamburg
GERECHTER, Hedwig * um 15.05.1878 in Borek, + 19.05.1878 in Borek
GERECHTER, Hugo * 10.11.1883 in Borek
GERECHTER, Julian * 15.05.1878 in Borek, + 18.05.1878 in Borek
GERECHTER, Louis * 16.05.1852 in Borek, + 25.01.1888 in Borek
GERECHTER, Rosalie * 25.09.1823 in Borek, + 08.02.1914 in Hamburg (update)
GROßKOPF, Michaelis * 1807 in Borek, + 06.03.1893 in Breslau
JAFFE, Samuel * 03.04.1818 in Borek, + 13.01.1885 in Posen
KOBYLINSKI, Sigismund * 08.06.1872 in Borek
NEUSTADT, Caroline * 18.10.1867 in Borek
NEUSTADT, Eugen * 02.11.1884 in Borek
NEUSTADT, Johanna Hannchen * 26.01.1858 in Borek
NEUSTADT, Nani * 20.10.1869 in Borek, + 24.09.1941 in Breslau
NEUSTADT, Salomon * 1805 in Borek, + 29.06.1878 in Schrimm
RUBINSOHN, Bertha * 12.03.1850 in Borek
SANDMANN, Littmann * 09.06.1854 in Borek
SIMON, Cimche * 21.06.1834 in Borek
STREIM, Ephraim * 1814 in Borek, + 26.03.1878 in Hamburg
WEINBERG, Minna * 06.05.1881 in Borek
WEISBARTH, Dore * 24.05.1849 in Borek
WERNER, Auguste Emma Ester * 29.04.1854 in Borek
WERNER, Edmund * 16.05.1878 in Borek
WERNER, Mathilde * 17.02.1852 in Borek, + 31.12.1930 in Berlin
From the Jewish Encyclopedia, 1906 in the public domain:
"BOREK:
By: Gotthard Deutsch, Moses Löb Bamberger Soncino Border.(From the title-page of "Sefer Yehoshua," printed by Soncino. In the collection of Hon. Mayer Sulzberger.) Town in the district of Koschmin, province of Posen, Germany. So long as the city was under the domination of the Church, Jews were not permitted to settle there; but they were granted this right by the Polish proprietor Von Nyeswasdowski when it came under his administration during the middle of the eighteenth century. In the year 1793, when Prussia took possession of Borek, there were already 448 Jews there, who maintained a synagogue—which was replaced by a new one in 1857—as well as a cemetery. At the present time (1902) the Jewish population of Borek numbers only 150 souls, out of a total population of 2,000."
Borek is the birthplace of Rabbi Elias Guttmacher, known by the name "Grätzer Raw."
Borek is the birthplace of Louis Gerechter, January 1811, the father of Rabbi Emanuel Gerechter, November 15, 1842 who served at Zion congregation in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States for many years.
JewishGen Family Finder has about 10 researchers interested in this town's residents.