MEZUZAH
KRAKOW
Rynek Podgórski 2

The Łazenga and the Silberstein merchant families lived here, as well as Samuel Landau, old Löbel Proper, family of jeweler’s journeyman Lazar Herzog, scholar Ozjasz Danziger with his lady (Dora, an active midwife), their children and granddaughter, Izydor Lipner the cook with his better half, winemaker Henryk Gottlaub with wife and elderly father (born in 1845!), the families of merchant Rozalia Weinberger, shoemaker Juda Trachman, laborer Jan Bubula, and the Farkas: head clerk Wanda and her sister-in-law Maria, “widow of the Revenue Guard inspector” from Lviv, with an armful of children.

Founded in the Middle Ages on the southern bank of the Vistula River, at the foot of the Krzemionki Podgórskie massif, the settlement of Podgórze was granted city charter in 1784 by the Habsburg Emperor Joseph II, when it became part of the Austrian monarchy (after the First Partition of Poland) and was intended to compete with Krakow on the other side of the border river. The Royal, Free City of Podgórze – before its incorporation into Krakow in 1915 – was a dynamically developing separate industrial center. From the 1830s, the representative and market heart of Podgórze was its triangular market square (until 1915 under the name of Rynek Główny) with the twice-built St. Joseph’s Church, a horse-drawn omnibus, and elegant tenement houses, often inhabited by Jewish residents. This was also the case with the tenement house at number 2, which belonged to the most impressive eastern frontage (“the section of the Rynek from Poturalski’s Bookshop to the City Hall building was a corso for Podgórze, similar to the A-B Line in Krakow,” recalled writer Roman Kiełkowski).

The tenement house with an Empire-style façade was designed in 1838, as well as adjacent buildings, including the magnificent City Hall. The wooden staircase balustrade, among other features, has been preserved from that period. The building was rebuilt in the 20^th century, but it remained a two-story tenement house with a central avant-corps topped with a triangular gable end, while the vestibule and ground floor are vaulted with ribbed vaults.

The long-time owners of the property on the 2 Rynek Podgórski were Jakób Piekło (b. Jul 12, 1867) and Bronisława Farkas (b. Jun 6, 1877), a Catholic couple with many children, who ran a “wholesale wine trade” on the premises, merchandizing mainly Hungarian wines, and a tavern promoting “natural wines known they are so good,” including “samorodner” Tokaj wines. In addition, the midwife Dora Danziger (wife of Ozjasz Danziger, a teacher of the Jewish religion at an Evangelical school, mother of Jakub, a graduate of philosophy at the Jagiellonian University, who taught at the faculty school in Krakow) ran her own business here, as did the merchant Józef Mendel Łazęga (b. Mar 3, 1887, in Nowy Korczyn).

At the beginning of the 1920s, over 50 people lived here, including about 30 adults. The family of Józef Łazęga stands out: his sister Blima (b. Nov 11, 1896), his wife Rachela Feig (b. Sep 8, 1890, in Wieliczka) and their children Frajdla Łaja (“Fryda,” b. Sep 19, 1912; she married Mendel Rapaport, with whom she had a son, Abraham, b. 1937), Henryka (“Henia,” b. Nov 23, 1915), Szymon Szyja Beer (“Szijek,” b. Jul 21, 1918), and Jan (Jakub, b. Jul 2, 1919). Other residents at that time included the widow Anna Zucker (b. 1851), the married factory worker Samuel Landau (b. Mar 12, 1886, in Noworadomsk), the jeweler’s journeyman Lazar Herzog (b. 1895) with his wife Rozalia-Ruchla Fajgla Silberfeld (b. Dec 26, 1896) and their son Abraham, a goldsmith as well (b. Mar 8, 1921), merchant Markus Silberstein (b. 1879) with his wife Ewa (1879) and children Anna (1905), Liber (1911) and Eleonora (1913), two Pańczyk sisters from Racibórz near Wieliczka (Barbara, b. 1894, and Anna, b. 1900) who worked here as maids (as did Katarzyna Jędrzejowska, b. 1902 in Stary Sącz, and Marianna Śliwa from Stróże near Myślenice), the elderly Löbel Proper from Włosień (b. 1851, d. 1930 at the age of 85), private tutor Ozjasz Danziger (1852) with his wife Dora (1852, d. Dec 5, 1931 at the age of 83), son Maxymilian (1884), daughter Eleonora, married name Drucker (1881), and granddaughter Anna (1903), cook Izydor Lipner (1864) with his wife Ernestyna (1875), wine-warehouse owner Henryk Gottlaub (1890) with his wife Gustawa (1892) and his elderly father Hirsch (1845!), merchant Rozalia Weinberger (1868) with her children: Bezabel (1892), Abraham (1899), and Moses (1900), the Sanok shoemaker Juda Trachman Gellner (b. Dec 14, 1887) with his wife Wiktoria Grünberg (b. Jun 3, 1882/1895) and four children: Julian-Izrael (b. Aug 18, 1913), Alfred (b. Jan 6, 1915, both unskilled workers), Herman, a photo lab technician (b. Feb 16, 1919), Józef (b. 1920) and Gustawa (shop assistant, b. April 10, 1922), laborer Jan Bubula (1854) with his wife Julia (1869) and children Edward (1906), Maria (1908) and Stanisław (1910). Last but not least, an “office manager” Wanda Farkas (1885), who was the “married sister-in-law” of the Lviv “widow of the Revenue Guard inspector” – Maria Farkas (1881) – also living here with her three children: Helena (1909) and twins Maria and Mieczysław (1913).

During the war, when the tenement house was located on the border of the Krakow Ghetto, the Łazęga and the Trachman families, Pinkus Lejb Dreiblatt (b. Jun 8, 1875) with his wife Estera Timberg (b. Aug 15, 1878) and Joel Hirschprung (b. Aug 21, 1910). Several of them survived the nightmares of war and the ghetto, e.g., the Łazęga family thanks to a Polish woman honored later on with the title of Righteous Among the Nations.

KRAKOW – PODGÓRSKI MARKET 2 – BUSINESS ACTIVITIES IN THE PODGÓRSKI MARKET, 1930

Apteka „Pod Koroną”, wł. Łuczko Karol – Rynek Podgórski 9

Bannet Bcia, wina owocowe – Rynek Podgórski 3

Emilewicz Walenty, materjały budowlane – Rynek Podgórski 10

„Krakowiak”, Sp. z o. o., miodosytnia – Rynek Podg. 14

Matula D., apteka – Rynek Podgórski 11

Piekło Jakób, wyszynk trunków – Rynek Podgórski 2

Powszechny Związek Kredytowy, Sp. z o. o. ,bank – Rynek Podgórski 13

Spira A. S. i syn, miodosytnia „Kościuszko” – Rynek Podgórski 3

Wald B., hurt. handel win – Rynek Podgórski 13

Wimmer Elkan, wyr. octu – Rynek Podgórski 6

Borkowski Wład., dr. (chir) – Rynek Podgórski 11

Goldberger Leon dr. – Rynek Podgórski 12

Laub Abrah. Dr. (wewn), Rynek Podgórski 13

Niewola Jan dr. (gin), Rynek Podgórski 9

Służewski Kaz. dr. (wewn) – Rynek Podgórski 8

Redo Aleks. dr. – Rynek Podgórski 4

Adwokaci: Bergner Eljasz dr. – Podgórze, Rynek 13

Emilewicz Józ. dr. – Podgórze, Rynek Główny 10

Schiff Bern. dr. – Podgórze, Rynek nr 12

Notarjusze: Piela Piotr – Rynek Podgórski 4

Akuszerki: Danziger Dorota, Rynek Podgórski 2

Rosner Salom. – Rynek Podgórski 14

Wołoszyn Zofja – Rynek Podgórski 4

Apteki: xŁuczko Karol „Pod Koroną” – Rynek Podgórski 9

Banki: xPowszechny Związek Kredytowy Sp. z o.o. – Rynek Podgórski 13

Bławaty – detal: Finkelstein Mojż. – Rynek Podgórski 11

Matzner Berta – Rynek Podgórski 9

Schenker Fryda – Rynek Podgórski 12

Spira Laz. – Rynek Podgórski 10

Zolman G. M. – Rynek Podg. 13

Cukiernicze wyroby – sprzedaż: Grzywacz Zofja – Rynek Podg. 7

„Podgórzanka”, wł. Preis Hirsz – Rynek 8

Seidner Herm. – Rynek Podgórski 11

Drogerje: Jahn Franc. „Pod Gwiazdą” – Rynek Podgórski 3

Piętowski Bron. – Rynek Podg. 1

Stiel Henr. – Rynek Podgórski 14

Elektrotechniczne przedsiębiorstwa: Baja Edw. – Rynek Podg. 4

Esencja octowa – fabryki: xWimmer Elk. – Rynek Podgórski 6

Farby – sprzedaż: April Zygm. – Rynek Podgórski 14

Fryzjerzy: Olechowska J. – Rynek Podg. 9

Galanterja – hurt: Landesdorfer Adolf – Rynek Podgórski 11

Import – ryż: Dränger M. A. – Rynek Podg. 13

Landsberger Salom. – Rynek Podgórski 15

Kolonjalne artykuły – detal: xSikorski Marjan – Rynek Podg. 10

Sosenko Mich. – Rynek Podgórski 19

Krawcy: Szczęśniak W. – Rynek Podg. 8

Książki – wypożyczalnie: „Kultura”, Rynek Podg. 12

Księgarnie: Janicki Stef. – Rynek Podgórski 3

Poturalska Hel. – Rynek Podgórski 4

Malarskie zakłady: Śleczkowski J. – Rynek Podgórski 4

Manufaktura – detal: Bett Mina – Rynek podgórski 8

Maszyny: Zuckerman J. – Rynek Podgórski 5

Mąka: Dränger M. A. – Rynek Podg. 13

Grossfeld Izr. – Rynek Podgórski 3

Miodosytnie: x„Kościuszko”, wł. Spira A. S. i Syn – Podgórski Rynek 3

x„Krakowiak” Sp. z o.o. – Rynek Podgórski 14

Papier – detal: Janicki St. – Rynek Podg. 3

Łazęga Józ. – Rynek Podgórski 2

Piekarnie: Żurek Jan – Rynek Podgórski 14

Piśmienne materjały – detal: Neuger Abr. – Rynek Podgórski 10

Piwo – detal: Haber Tonia – Rynek Podgórski 12

Pogrzebowe przedsiębiorstwa: Gawlkik Leon – Rynek Podgórski 5

Restauracje: Goldfinger Salom. – Rynek Podgórski 8

Landwirth Maur. – Rynek Podgórski 15

Silberring Jak. – Rynek Podgórski 18

Spira Cecyl. – Rynek Podgórski 12

Szmeja Jan – Rynek Podgórski 3 (lub 8)

Różne towary: April Zygm. – Rynek Podgórski 14

Rymarze: Ofiarski J. – Rynek Podgórski 13

Skóry – detal: Berkowicz M. – Rynek Podg. 11

Kempler Sam. – Rynek Podgórski 12

Spożywcze artykuły: Armer Izr. – Rynek Podgórski 9

Majchrowa St. – Rynek Podgórski 12

Riegler Abr. – Rynek Podgórski 7

Sosenko J. – Rynek Podg. 9

Wachsman Jak. – Rynek Podgórski 13

Szklarze: Tannenbaum M. – Rynek Podgórski 14

Technicy dentystyczni: Drabik M. – Rynek Podgórski

Laksberger M. – Rynek Podg. 15

Rosenzweig S. – Rynek Podg. 13

Wędliny – sprzedaż: Kutrzeba Karol – Rynek Podgórski 11

Sokołowska Michal. – Rynek Podgórski 15

Wina – hurt: xBannet Izaak i Szym. – Rynek Podgórski 3

xWald Bar. – Rynek Podgórski 13

Landau Herschl – Rynek Podgórski 7

Wyszynk trunków: Piekło Jak. – Rynek Podgórski 2

xSikorski Marjan – Rynek Podgórski 11

Żelazne artykuły: Landesdorfer Sam. – Rynek Podgórski 13

Hulles Szym. – Podgórska 12

Silberring Naft. – Rynek Podgórski 13

Hurtownia żelaza i blachy: Sternreich Jak. – Rynek Podgórski 15

Jan Wąsiński, genealogist. jan.wasinski@gmail.com