That is Great Great Great Uncle Bernhard (Ben) Braunhart.  Poor Ben - the very first Braunhart to come to America, and unfortunately - the first Braunhart in America to leave this earth.

He did so by his own hand, which we have known for a few years. But the recently acquired newspaper article from the San Bernardino, California Daily Courier dated June 24, 1890 paints an extremely gory picture of his past few minutes alive.

Ben left behind his estranged wife Rosa and 4-1/2 year old son Harry. He was 49 years old.

 

This document is just phenomenal. After many years of seeking a translation, this document, written in 1879, is finally ready for publication. It describes the dowry that Helene Bascynska brought to her marriage with Alexander Braunhart, and lists all of the goods and cash that she provided.  

Additionally, the Marriage Contract is included.

What a treasure. Some items were not clear enough to be translated, but the original documents are presented below, followed by their English translation.

Unfortunately this is only a Xerox copy of the original. Hopefully some day the original can be scanned properly and appear more legible.
 

And thanks to our good friend and wonderful translator, Matthias Steinke, here is the English translation for the Dowry as well as the Marriage Contract. 

Dowry

Schubin, the 26th March 1879

Concerning,

The exclusion of the community property and the acquisition with my husband Alexander Braunhart

 
Due to my marital obligations I am making following special register of the things, furnitures, and dowry and so on, which I with my husband

…herewith…dowry:

1. 2400 Marks

2. 2 beds

3. 2 dozen shirts

4. 2 dozen bedsheets

5. 2 dozen stockings

6. 2 ditto handkerchiefs

7. 2 ditto napkins

8. 2 ditto nightjackets

9. 2 ditto trousers

10. 7 ditto towels

11. 1 ditto food blankets

12. 1 ditto petticoats

13. 1 ditto aprons

14. 8 duvet covers

15. 4 duvets

16. 1 velvet coat

17. 2 cloth coats

18. 2 wipes (cloths)

19. 2 silk dresses

20. 6 wullen dresses

21. 2 golden .......

22. 2 golden K.....

23. 2 golden …

24. 1 golden

25. 3 golden K…

26. 1 dozen silver tablespoons

27. 1.5 dozen coffeespoons

28. 1 silver ….

29. 1 dozen … spoons

30.

31.

32.

33.

34. 1 mirror with … and …

35. 2 nutbrown beds with .. and wedge-shaped pillows

36. 1 nutbrown …. With warm….

37.

38. 1 .. sewing table

39. 2 ditto curtain….

40. A pair white curtains

41. 8 curtain holder

42. 1 brown tablecover

43. 4 curtain……..

44. 2 bedcarpets

45. 1 cupboard with glass door

46. 1 kitchen table

47. 3 copper spot roles

48. 6 iron pots

49. 2 dozen big plates

50. 2 dozen knifes and forks .....

51. 2 complete big.... Services

52. Several glasses, carafes, sugar pots, 1 serving dish.

Sincerely,

Helene Braunhart nee Baszynska


Marriage Contract

Negotiated at the royal county court In Inowroclaw at the 17th March 1879.

To the below signing, with the optional Jurisdiction commissioned judge came today the

Personally known and able to act:

1.  the maiden Helene Baszinska with her father as assistance

2.  the master-baker Moritz Basinski, both from Strelno.

3.  the businessman Alexander Braunhart from Schubin.

 
The Number 1 and 3 named persons declared:

“We promise each other the wedlock and the marriage shall be in this days. After it we will take our residence
in Schubin. In our marriage shall the in our province usual community of property and income not be valid.

By explicitly excluding this, we also want, that this shall be published in the official journal and a copy with the confirmation of the properly publication shall be sent to the bride.

Herewith declares the groom, that the bride already brought aside from the cash dowry, a complete dowry of dresses, beds, clothing, gold and silver, …. And appliances, about which a special register is within 14 days here to submit.

The costs of this contract pays the groom.

The common property is estimated at 6.000 Mark.

 
Helene Baszynska

Alexander Braunhart

Zacher Szartowicz

Will be documentated

Inowroczlaw ... March 1879.

Royal county-court (district-court), second branch

signature

One of the Memorable Seventeen - Hattie Bernstein, has had her photos surface. Her granddaughter Renee made these available recently and here they are! Hattie is on the left, and she is in some of the photos below along with her husband William Fried. Also shown is her daughter-in law Alva Sara Kaul, who was the wife of Leo Fried, Hattie and William's only child.

Thank you so much, Renee

Sara Selma Braunhart was one of the "rocks" of the Braunhart family. She gave up a lot in her early life to take care of the "old father" as he was called after mother Helene died in 1925.  She was born in Schubin in 1894, the second youngest daughter. She and younger daughter Frieda stayed with their parents until finally moving to Berlin in the early 1920s.

Some time in the late 1930s she escaped the Nazis by travelling to England, where she worked as a domestic and as a cook. So for at least a decade she took care of her father by herself, as Frieda had married and immigrated to America with her new husband in 1926. She is fondly called the "welfare aunt" in the letter below, in honor of her always helping her siblings, parents and others.

She found love later in life with George Gandel. George had met Selma's brother Theo, along with Julius' wife Dorka and Dorka's children Lilly and Lothar when all of them escaped to Shanghai. George had been playing the piano in nightclubs and other houses of entertainment.

After Selma had immigrated to the U.S. in 1946, she was introduced to George remotely and they later met in person and the rest is history. They married on August 28, 1954 in Brooklyn, New York.  Selma was 60 and George a few years younger. They were able to spend 15 happy years together until George's passing in 1969.

Below is a letter from Selma's older sister Cilly and her husband Horst, congratulating Selma on her wedding:

Following is the English translation:

Cottbus, September 1954


Dear Selma and dear Brother-in-law!

How we were wondering about that little letter with the unknown handwriting and the strange return address before we even opened it and we thought, is there going to be good or bad news told in it, but I've never thought of receiving such a surprise. Just hours before as many other times we were talking about that you rejected more than one admirer who desired you so much. 

As much luck and health as there can possibly be we wish both of you from all our hearts. You, dear Selma, have worked your entire life and were always ready for a good deed. Aunt Selma the welfare aunt! Twice as much luck we wish you. 

Apart from that we have accepted the fact that all of you are hardly ever writing anymore, there is nothing one could do about it. We already confirmed the reception of your package in the beginning of July and since we never know if you receive our letter we gratefully do it again. Soon it will be Jewish New Year's. Everybody we wish the very best, but no more heartaches. 

Also congratulations to those who have a birthday coming up soon. 

All my love, your grateful Cilli
p.s.  How is Anna's recently married daughter?


Dear Selma and dear Brother-in-law!

After reading the surprise about your wedding I had to sit down right away, otherwise I would have fainted! Now you have become unfaithful to me after all, so I wish that you and the new Brother-in-law will have many happy years together in great health. 

Happy New Year to everybody and the best for everybody,

From your grateful Horst.

Some families are quite open about talking about all of their relatives and ancestors. Unfortunately on my father's side of the family - they were not. I do not have any idea why that was the case. For example, of my 4 great grandparents on that side, when I started my family history research, I only knew the name of one of my great grandparents - Isidor Heyman. I do not recall at all the mention of any of the other three.

However, I do recall the mention of my grandmother's cousin - Eric Brock. All I remember from the few short verbal snippets is that he was an attorney living in New York.

So for this inaugural edition of "Ancestor of the Month" we will salute Eric Brock. Fortunately, because of successful genealogy research, a bit about Eric's life has been discovered in the past 10 years.

Elkan Eric Brock was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 27,1906.  Eric as he was called, was the son of William Broch and Amalie (Molly) Bernstein Broch. Amalie was a younger sister of my great grandmother - Ernestine Bernstein Heyman, Isidor's wife.

The surname Broch was sometimes spelled Brock and after the early 1900s it appears that the family settled on the latter version. Eric was named after William Broch's father Elkan Broch from Austria. Both William and Amalie immigrated to America in the late 1890s, and married in New York City in 1899. From census records we find that William was a translator, language teacher, magazine writer, and calligrapher. Family lore states that Amalie was also a magazine writer, yet there is no proof of that yet.

Eric graduated from Brooklyn Law School in the late 1920s. He is cited as a lawyer in the 1930 and 1940 censuses; his older sister Regina a shoe designer, and oldest sister Teresa a stenographer in a bond house. 

He married later in his life and was devoted to his mother, caring for her in her later years at their home at 780 Riverside Drive in Manhattan, a place where they resided for many many years. The senior Brock, William it appears was estranged from the family as he is not living with the family in neither the 1930 or 1940 censuses, choosing a different residence. William died in 1943. Amalie passed in 1965 in Manhattan. William is buried at Beth El Cemetery in Westwood, New Jersey. Coexisting in Westwood is the Cedar Park Cemetery, where Amalie and Eric are buried side by side.

Eric was the one and only of the New York Braunharts and Bernsteins who traveled to Northern California frequently to visit his relatives. The bulk of the family had moved to the San Francisco area, starting in the 1860s when Bernhard and Samuel Braunhart had initially located after immigrating. The Heyman families and Bernstein families moved to Oakland starting in 1910, and others made the move over the next 30 years.

Here is Eric with some of his cousins and other relatives in the late 1930s while he was visiting them in Oakland. Eric is the balding man with the suit and tie just behind the older woman in the center - his Aunt Ernestine.

Eric focused primarily on estate law. We know from the will of his first cousin, once removed - Selma Braunhart Gandel, that he was the attorney of record.

Eric met his wife Edith Sternberg Walker in a law office. Twelve years Eric's junior, she was a Holocaust survivor and was divorced from her first husband, with one son and one daughter, who provided me with the information about Eric's last twenty years of life, as well as details about his marriage to Edith. Edith was quite interested in getting married, however Eric, in his 60s, was reluctant. Eventually love won out and they were married in Maryland. Unfortunately the specific location and exact date have not been discovered as yet.

They lived happily together for about 15 years. He retired from his law practice in the mid-1970s.

Eric's final days were traumatic for he and his wife. Suffering from dementia and other mental problems, sadly Eric became abusive, which was not his nature. He had to be institutionalized. Eric died at Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital at age 77 on April 9, 1984. Edith survived for another 24 years.

There were only four members of the Braunhart family left in Schubin in October, 1920. Father Alexander Braunhart writes this letter to his daughters Anna and Martha, who had immigrated to Brooklyn almost 15 years before and had married and were starting their own families.

Alexander, his wife Helene, and their youngest daughters Selma and Frieda remained in Schubin. He states in the letter that there were only 12 Jewish families left in Schubin at that time. Most had moved west to Berlin or other German cities and towns. The influence of the Polish government had grown since the end of World War I and the Posen province became increasingly under Polish influence. Life became more and more harsh and the hyperinflation that was starting in Germany and which escalated significantly in 1921 through 1923 was certainly affecting those who were now in Poland.

He complains of the inability of his children to keep in touch with their mother and father, and as he usually did in his letters, expresses frustration regarding his youngest son Theodor. Theodor served for Germany in World War I in the Ukraine, and it appears from many other letters that the war affected him the worst of any of his brothers. He was sickly most of his life. It is quite possible that he suffered from what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Considering that he also had to escape from the Nazis in the late 1930s, one suspects that Theo's mental state was in a word - at least "shaky" his entire adult life.

There is one saying that is interesting - "Here everything is tranquil, yet the hate is big."

Below is a scan of the original letter, followed by the English translation.

With many thanks to our German to English translator - Matthias Steinke, below is the English version:

Szubin, 21.10.20

Dear good daughter Anna!

First of all be you, Harry and "little" Mikol, as well as Martha, Benny, Leo and Harold deeply and hearty greeted.

You both daughters are from all of our adult children the only, who make us at our old days many pleasure, although we quite nothing did for you and Jakob, but also with the best will we couldn't do more.

We expect a lot from Theo. The other have to to fight hard for their lives and they had not much luck.

Both girls are pretty as a picture and stagnate here. Despite all efforts its not possible to get an accommodation in
Germany - maybe soon because Selma wrote to Cylli and Hedwig and asked for an immigration-certificate. Without such certificate, which is very hard to get its not possible to emigrate.

Also are the Germans from here, namely the Jews not really welcomed over there.

With the health we are like all old people. I am still working over my power, because I have to. I can't get from you, who have also an own family and as I know have to work hard, much support.

We still have money (Polish currency). The checks to Berlin all arrived (Frieda, Selma, Mum). Also the one from Jakob over 2600 Mark. Send Jakob our best thanks. But strange is it not getting a message from himself. Send Jakob this letter and ask him to give a living sign for our worrying. We would have already written to him, but Theo wrote us, we shouldn't send letters to the US known address. Jakob has, like all of our children a good heart, but he suffered a lot.

God wish that he will be fine from now on. Write him he should give us enlightenment concerning the money of the ruined bank. Knauth, Nachod & Kuhne informed me the 15th. of June this year that they will inform me concerning the case, but didn't get any information up to today. The certificate for over 5600 Dollars I have in my hands.

From my only sister and her family no message, although we wrote back immediately. Please be so kind and initiate, that she writes to me.

Here is everything tranquil, although the hate is big. One has to be very tranquil and consider every word. The authorities are fair, and we were in many cases better than at the Germans. But there are also exceptions, namely the persons who were earlier poor.

The business is totally located in Polish neighbourship. There aren't any German officials left. All away and plenty "normal" individuals moved. There are only 12 jewish families left and also they want go away. At the Lutheran, school is only 1 teacher. The Jewish school is disbanded since years.

The life, dear Anna is very very expensive and we think due to Congress in Poland:

1 bread - 9 Mark (becomes even more expensive)
1 pound butter - 36 Mark (every 14 days one pound)
1 pound meat - 20 Mark (becomes even more expensive)
1 pound flour - 4 Mark
1 pound sugar - 8 Mark
1/4 tea - 20 Mark
1 Klafter wood 500 Mark
1000 (pieces) peat 200 Mark
1 pair of shoes 2000 Mark
1 suit or dress 4000 Mark
soles 150 Mark
potatoes 45 Mark the hundredweight
1 pound soap 60 Mark
and so on

A day labourer earns 15 Mark and more per hour. Craftsmen even more. Taxes are very high, so also the light. Electricity for one lamp monthly 50-60 Mark. Petroleum the litre 8 Mark. We cannot afford coffee anymore. (as substitute) one roasts barley and rye. Also milk is ... the litre 240 Mark. Funny, isn't it?

Nevertheless we don't have to suffer and have by your help "plenty money" One cannot drink oneself bravely because a small bad glass of beer costs 2 Mark and a couple of drops bad rotgut 4 Mark. Also smoking is expensive. The cheapest cigar 5 Mark, and one cigaret 50-80 pence. I have "plenty" self planted tobacco and "smoke the pipe".

Oh you wonderful good old times, where have you gone?

Frieda and Selma are doing all of Mums work, because she has done enough. We live since year and day peaceful and comfort each other. Not one day goes by without thinking of all of our children. Whether they will see us again one day? I want to close for now, because Frieda made a herring salad for supper and the tea is getting cold. 2 herrings cost 9 Mark, that means without rusk. This isn't available and cost 10 Mark the pound. It is to cry. But we endure it. The Polish currency raised 1 Mark and will become even higher.

This would be good. By asking you to give this letter also to Martha for reading and then sending it to Jakob, who shall also give it to Aunt we remain your you deeply loving thankful parents. Why doesn't Martha write?

Following written by Helene:

My dear children Tulman, Sternbach. You can imagine our delight that Jakob is living, why isn't he writing to us, I would love to see his handwriting. Be so kind, dear children and thank the beloved aunt in my name for the money, its already in Berlin, why shall I write first, has she received my letter? Why doesn't she move near you? She is already old, I am pleased that she was at you and that she is healthy.                                       


What are your children doing, hope you all are healthy? We regret, that we haven't received your letter dear Anna with the inclusion of Jakob. Maybe it will arrive yet.

Many hearty greetings and kisses for the beloved children and to you your deeply loving mother Helene

May 15 is the International Day of Families. This was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1992.


In honor of this day, below are a number of photos of my ancestor families, most from the early 1900s.

In the early 20th century, several of the Braunharts of Schubin immigrated to America. Some were married in Germany and some in the United States. There were many more weddings in the mid-20th century as their sons and daughters tied the knot.

Since this is the time of the year when many weddings occur, we celebrate their nuptials with the photos of these happy events, focusing on those from 1900 through the 1920s. There are more, however many wedding photos have not turned up as yet.

As the title suggests, one is quite the eery photograph - but it is a capture of the wedding party certainly, even if many weren't looking, or were pretending to be asleep.

So raise your glass and Mazel Tov!

In the course of researching one's ancestors, as each event and thus each story unfolds, you begin to get a mental picture of the individual(s) that you are searching. Although you have never met them, you get a sense of what they were like.

In the cases of Karl and Philipp, never in a million years would I have guessed that they were sentenced to prison, as this letter from Karl's wife Hedwig to her sister-in-law Anna indicates. They of course were not perfect men and like all others had their flaws.

So this story in summary is that two brothers, likely attempting to bring some money into their family, purchase fractured silver, which is typically old silver jewelry or old silverware that gets melted down and is then sold by weight. They were arrested, tried, and sentenced because the silver had been previously stolen.

This of course assumes that they indeed did not steal the silver in the first place, and nothing in their life stories indicate that they were the "thieving kind."

In the letter, Hedwig discusses the state of her declining health, the financial struggles as a result, and the burden that Karl's incarceration has placed on her and her two little children, Heinz and Hanna. Interestingly she also alludes to the recent forced exile from Schubin at the hands of the Poles, which she believes is the cause of their troubles in Berlin.

This letter is the only letter so far that discusses Karl and Philipp's incarceration and thus brings up more questions such as "Did they serve the entire 2 1/2 years?" or "Why wasn't their imprisonment discussed in any other letters in the period of 1920 through 1923?"

My guess is that Karl and Philipp, while not totally naive and innocent, were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Hopefully we will through additional letters, discover more of this surprising story.

Below is the original German letter, followed by the English translation.

With thanks to our fine translator Matthias Steinke, below is the English translation:

Berlin, the 15th. October 20

My very dear ones!

Please excuse, if I confirm the receipt of the sent 1000 Mark only now and thank you heartily for it.
Now you gave me a great pleasure with it, because I just can really need it. As you probably already know I am
not very healthy and stayed 4 weeks at my sister for recovery but without success.

Then, at the instance of the doctor again for 6 week a cure that was good, because I gained 12 pounds and my
cough became better. The little one (my daughter) was in Wuerzburg at my brother and my son at my sister in Anklam. 


Due to my homesickness I was a couple of days very excited, like I unfortunately was often during the last years, and that brought me where I am now. During the time where I was in Anklam Karl and Philipp bought "fracture" silver, but it were stolen things and Carl and Philipp became arrested. After I was back I set of course everything in motion and hired a lawyer who costs over two thousand five hundred Marks. Karl was set free for a bail of 20000 Mark which paid my siblings.

On October 8th was the trial and Carl as also Philipp were sentenced to 2 1/2 years prison. You can imagine my sorrow; I am now with my two children "breadless" and reliant on the grace of my siblings.

Karl was taken to prison instantly. I already visited Carl, he is totally broken, brought him food and something to smoke. But I cant do it for the duration, because where shall I take the money. My husband was very assiduous and industrious but hadn't luck. As far as I live in Berlin I was supported by my siblings and also now I am reliant on their grace. Also Theo finds it hard, sends Philipp also food although he also has a very hard time.

It hurts me to write this to you, but what can one do, nobody can anything for this misfortune.

I am Pleased, that you, my dears are fine and that you support the dear parents. I like the dear mother(in law) very very much, I recently got a letter from her, we both got on very well together.

Now you will think I want something from you, but that's not the case, because I don't want to beg, and it's very hard for me to send you the truth. What I will do now, I still don't know.

My illness already cost me more than 3500 Mark. I am still in treatment. But now I have enough lamented, yes?

Unfortunately its very hard to find an apartment for the dear parents. I wanted give the dear parents our store and the room which we also rented to the store. But the dear father didn't want it, so I sold the store. The things are disstrained, everything is gone.

The Polaks (Poles) are responsible for our entire misfortune, because in Schubin we were doing well.

I would be happy to hear from you again. My children don't let me cry, if they see it, they also start to cry and kiss me continually.

I am the only one of my siblings, who isn't it going well. I it will become, I still don't know.

I thank you again very heartily and greet (and) kiss you
very much.

Your
sister-in-law Hedwig

Heinz and Hanna also greet.

Some gave up their country, their families, and their homes. One gave her life. And all have been courageous, fascinating, and deserving of our memory and our tribute.