52 Ancestors - #22 - A Heritage Trip - Amsterdam to Austria

This week's topic for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge is "So Far Away!" It couldn't have come at a better time! In just a few weeks, Scott and I will be joining my sister Jeanne and her partner, Suzi on a very special trip, a river cruise beginning in Amsterdam and ending in Vienna, Austria.

In the spring of 1938, my mother traveled with her mother and grandmother from Vienna to Holland. If you know anything at all about world history, the reason for their trip is obvious. As Hitler marched into Vienna, things got quite dicey for the Jews. My great-grandfather's hat factory, Lital, and several shops had already been "purchased" by the Nazis and things were looking quite grim. My mother's paternal great-grandparents were of the opinion that things were going to be okay. Her mother's mother, Sophie Spiegel did not agree. Sophie's best friend lived in Holland and Sophie herself had Dutch citizenship, as did my grandmother, Rose Lichtenthal. My mother was 6 years-old. They decided to leave. My grandfather, Paul Lichtenthal,  stayed behind because of the business, an unfortunate decision which resulted in his being imprisoned in Dachau and Buchenwald for nearly two years.

My mother's family had been in Vienna for several generations, having come from Romania and Poland. Our family history is rich with references to the city. So, it was amazing when my sister broached the idea of taking a trip which is basically the reverse of the one our mother took so many years ago.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #3 - Sophie Weiss Spiegel - A Strong Woman

Sophie as a young girl

Sophie Weiss was my maternal great-grandmother. Although she was quite wealthy at points in her life, I knew things had not always been easy thanks to stories my mother had shared with me. I also have many unanswered questions about Sophie’s life.

52 Ancestors - #16 - Memento Monday - Sophie's Shoes

My great-grandmother,
Sophie Weiss Spiegel

My great-grandmother's slippers

As I am a bit crunched for time this week, I thought I would post a "quickie" about the importance of mementos in our family history.

I am quite lucky to be from a family of quasi-hoarders. Thanks Mom!! Not everyone recognizes the importance of keeping their grandmother's slippers. Or the letters from their high school sweater. Or their father's urologist report from 1938. (Okay, I'm pretty sure my mother had no idea that was in her father's papers....)

Emanuel Weiss

Emanuel (Mandl) Weiss was born on September 28, 1826 in Hungary. He is my second great-grandfather on my mother's side.

Almost nothing is known about him at this time. In question is the number of marriages he may have had. His daughter Sophie alluded to the fact that Emanuel’s son Josef, may have been her half-brother. (As related to me by my mother, Sophie’s granddaughter) This story warrants further investigation as Emanuel and Theresia were married in 1860, four years previous to Josef’s birth, so why wouldn't he have been a FULL brother?