On 6 April 1748 a wagon stopped in front of the Hungarian Hradisch from which many men alighted. They were Jews from Strassnitz, which was many hours away from Hradisch, who were visiting the market of the district which, according to an old law, was a forbidden area for Jews. Three of these men tried to stay quite close to one another, as one could see, and so they appeared on the list that the gatekeeper who kept track of entering Jews. Two of them appeared to be quite old, the third had only just married and seemed to be in his mid-twenties. The young man was named Simon Abraham, the older ones were his father, Abraham Josef, and his father-in-law Joseph Benjamin.

This Simon, or as in the Hebrew sources and many other old documents was later called, Simson Abraham, was the patriarch of the Siebenschein Family. His name appears again in a public document five years later, in the year 1753. In this year the sovereign authority of Strassnitz was implemented and also the city Strassnitz and the whole country participated in the "Theresa fashion". The predecessor of the comprehensive modern census which can be found in the Moravian Property Archive in Brno also contained a "consignment which included all known Jewish houses". And this consignment, including six empty spots, notes in total 43 houses, gives Simon Abraham as fourth. Before him, in the second spot there is Joseph Benjamin, whereas house 32 had Isaac Benjamin as its owner. Of the first of these two Benjamins, who in later documents was shown to be Simon's father-in-law, we recognize him from the Brno indexes of governship (Archives of Property) from the year 1758/59, 1760 and 1762 named as Strassnitz's property elders, whereas his son Isak Benjamin appeared later as part-owner of a contract business with Simon Abraham. Termination of the business or the state of Simon Abraham's fortune are not known, even though most of the leaders and well-off men in the Jewish Community appear first in such lists.

Five years later Simon Abraham appears again in the documents. The minute-book of the governship (Property Archives of Brno) contained in Fo. 2012, No. 925, under the 15th of September 1758, the entry "Hradisch's responsible government official of the district announces the forthcoming marriage of the Strassnitz Jew Simon Abraham" and it is to be presumed that there was a second marriage after the death of his first wife since his son was already born in 1745. This second wife was probably Gela Abraham, who according to the Strassnitz death documents died on 18 January 1786, at the age of 58, and was the mother of all other known children of Simon Abraham.

Later in December of the same year, Simon Abraham, but more so his son Abraham, worked as contractors for the army. The seven year war made Moravia a war arena and the citizens of this land had plenty to do in order to house and take care of the passing Russians in the beginning of the war in order to regulate Kunersdorf. The Protocol book Fo. 2582, No. 606 showed on 13 December 1758 that the provisions officer Franz Kriegl asked "the Strassnitz Jew Simon Abraham to deliver to the local repository 4000 Centn. of corn flour, 3000 of oat and 1000 pecks barley in exchange for Mauth-Freipass." Simon Abraham had to go to Hungary because the vast quantities were very difficult to procure in the depleted country and that is why the Mauth-Freipass was important to get. It was unknown if the implementation of the delivery took place through Simon Abraham. Towards the end of the war the creation of Austria was so far along that it developed to the point that only through the Jew Adam Oppenheimer, a son of the court appointed court Jew Samuel Oppenheimer in Vienna, could the provisions be assured. Similar events took place during the Seven Year War around the year 1749, where the provision suppliers in Moravia relied on the Christian enterpreneur Sebastian Kolocz, who himself employed a Jew from Damboritz named Lazar Samuel as subcontractor. The Moravian Property Archive contains all the information about "the people who worked with the Jew Adam Oppenheimer from 1 November 1763 until the end of October 1765, give or take 2 years of military-care contract" included in the Signatur Militaria 1763/4b, and the contract with him, a lot of correspondence concerning the leaseholder of the granted support, complaints and claims, liquidation, etc. Included is a very informative report from Brno dated 17 March 1764: To Your Majesty is (most humble and obedient servant) rendered an account and at the same time authoritatively put together that the inspection and collection of this supplier leaseholder of produce organizer in all places its own commission ex Provinciali Commissariatico et Proviantico can be arranged... The complaints are afterall absolute that Er Oppenheimer whose subcontractor did not honor the ordered contracts and with whom the stipulated payments remained unpaid..."

These general complaints are thanks to the knowledge of the varying places from the subcontractor Adam Oppenheimer. There were Jakob Löbl, Lundenburg, Hess Löbl, Isak Landmann, Pullitz, Salomon Löbl from Burgwitz, Joachim David from Pisslung, Efraim Samuel from Kanitz, Salomon Benjamin from Austerlitz, Isack Freystadtler, Jew from Hung. Brod and Abraham Isaac in Leipnick. We also owe them the knowledge of the connection of the Oppenheimers with Simon Abraham, about which two handwritten papers give information. The one shows a bill-protest that both Simon Abraham and Isac Benjamin made against Adam Oppenheimer, whereas the second document that appeared in the original document had the protest being referred to with the accompanying copy of the contract. This contract is interesting in many ways. It brings to light a second family name of Simon Abraham, probably occuring frequently amongst the Jews. This name Samson Strassnitz probably signifies a prior association with this family in Strassnitz. The name Simon was often used for contacts with the authorities instead of the unfamiliar non-Jewish names of Simson or Samson. In between one finds a mixture of the names, such as Simson Abraham as godfather in the birth documents from 28 September 1787, and also earlier as Simson or Samson, the son of Abraham from Dresnitz (or Strassnitz), the same name as the man in the Hebrew documents, since the 28 October 1787, so since the implementation of the patents from July 1787 and also from the registry being referred to as Simon Siebenschein.

The delivery contract that was referred to above shows in its introduction and in the closing words a very Hebrew contract style and it is very likely that this copy is a translation of a Hebrew contract, as this is a contract between two Jewish competitors. Anyway this is, in case evidence still is needed to connect with this contract that with the protesting of the change of Simon Abraham, an irrevocable evidence of the identity of this man with Samson Strassnitz.

Even before this transaction Simon Abraham, together with Josef Benjamin appeared in the Index of records of the Moravian governor from the year 1760 and as "Purveyor of oats in Strassnitz" in the Index of 1759. According to the Index from the year 1762 Abraham Simon, Jew from Strassnitz, sought marriage permission for his first born son and it perhaps had to do with another son of Simon Abraham who was heretofore unbeknownst. In the Index from the year 1765 Abraham Simon was actually referred to as "Jewish Judge from Strassnitz," and it is to certainly be presumed that in both these cases the surname would have been in reverse alphabetical order.

In the year 1761 Simon Abraham headed the family No. 18 and paid a contribution of 219 Fl. 3. oxr. In the year 1793 of the existing ground book of the Jewish Community of Strassnitz we find him sub Fo. 109 as Simon Siebenschein in House No. 15 and Fo. 115 in House No. 16 old, 80 new, listed as owner.

From what was stated previously, it can be said that the family of Simon Abraham was part of the leadership of Strassnitz. The role that this family played within the Community is clarified by the documents and protocol from the years 1767/68, as seen in the Moravian Land Archives. The Strassnitz Jewish Community were in arrears with their deliveries so that it came to using coercive measures, thus the Jewish Community pointed out that their members had not profited from the delivery of provisions because they did not get to deliver a tenth of it, which others chose to argue with and the peace immediately had been restored so that they would be completely ruined by being forced to buy expensive provisions which they had to give away again. In order to be certain of obtaining the rest of the payment, all of the supply of the Jews of Strassnitz (who most likely also dealt with wine) was confiscated, and even more, the Jewish Community even hired a contigent of thirty soldiers for their quarter and the closing of the synagogue took place. These drastic measures were surely implemented to enrage the people, even if they were not of the mind set to extort money from the Community. In any case, the measures were unwarranted and harsh; harsh because they did not just stop at cutting off religious life, closing the synagogue and imprisoning the Judge of the Community, unjust according to the old principle of communal liability of all Jews and was in reaction to the wine stock guaranteed because their contract for contributions had already expired.

It is easily understood that there were many petitions and inquiries concerning the matter. And so it came to light that one Jew was beaten by soldiers since he spoke with them with "a loose tongue" and then locked the door. In the documents it came to light that part of the Community and the eldest of the district, Löbl Freystadtler was dissatisfied with the scale selling, so that our Simon Abraham and his relatives who were against Freystadtler, since "Simon Abraham was elected with 24 votes, the eldest of the land, in contrast to Löbl Freystadtler, who was helped by his cronies". The documents show the deep gap between the seven highest taxed people, the patricians of the Community, from the rest of the 67 families. These highly-taxed people who led the suit, who complained of having to do more than their share, all belong to the Benjamin Family. They prepared their petition in the following manner: Joseph Benjamin as the father, Bernard Joseph as the son, Salomon Joseph as son, Isack Joseph as son, Simon Abraham son-in-law, Abraham Benjamin as son-in-law, and Abraham ben Simon as grandson. In a correspondence from the Strassnitz elder and panel to Löbl Freystadtler there are many other interesting details of the disagreement in the midst of the Community in whose course a fist fight between Simson Abraham and two of the Community elders came into question.

In October 1768 the argument ended with a settlement. If we take a look at the curt description of this intermezzo which occupied a Moravian Jewish Community, the remaining documents about Simon Siebenschein, we find that the registration of the death of Simon Siebenschein in the Strassnitz Death Registry is very informative. On the 13 June 1797 a Simon Siebenschein appears who was 3 years old and lived in House No. 15 and on 1 May 1799 Simon Siebenschein, who lived in the same house, died at the age of 79. This house number is already known to us from the Ground Book, otherwise all the dates in this Death Document seem doubtful. Above all, one notices that after this registration posting from 1789 until 1794 appear and only after six postings the chronological order returns. It is even more difficult to understand how the grandchild, who obviously should have the name of the deceased grandfather, was born before this grandfather died. But also the question of the correctness of the dates were confused, so that after the birth registration Fo. 12 on the 15 November 1797 a Simon Siebenschein, son of Isius and Bella Siebenschein and on the 12 December of the same year a second Simon Siebenschein, son of Joseph and Eva Siebenschein was born. From that we can assume that the date of death cited above was at least a mix-up and that on 13 June 1797 the 79 year old (or in this case 77 year old?) grandfather was preceeded by his grandson on 1 May 1799. Aside from this correction there appears to be another error, if the entries on the gravestone and the reliable dates in the Ground Book are considered. The gravestone inscription of Simson (Siebenschein) names the date of death as the new moon day of Tamooz 5598, which tranfers to the 15 June 1798 and this date is confirmed by the paraphrasing of the inscription, which signifies that the deceased was buried at the beginning of the Sabbath. In fact, the 15 June fell on a Friday. In contrast this solely recognized date can hardly matter because in the Ground Book Fo. 109 and also Fo. 115 the will was enacted on 21 June 1798, in which the sons, Josia and Isak Siebenschein were named as the sole heirs. The will can be implemented on the day of the opening or the date of death, and actually the entries in the birth registry could be incorrect or inaccurate, or, as it has occured in other places, were deliberately changed.

In inscription on the grave of Simon Siebenschein, despite the three damaged places, is a classical example of the educated Hebrew style of the time, and one can hardly fail to notice that its author is, Joachim Oppenheim, the groom of the granddaughter of the deceased. It begins with an obvious variation of Richter's verse II.1, which reads: "There came a messenger of God from Gilgal to Bochim." In the inscription Simson is subsituted for the "messenger of God" and so there is reference to the deceased. "Bochim" is not the biblical name for the place, but rather also the expression for crying. The inscription is rhymed in this manner 1:2:1:2:3:3:4:4 and its language has very difficult allusions. One can ascertain from these sentences of the inscription that the double-entendre of the designations of Hebrew signs used in the verse cause one to conclude that the deceased (perhaps in a position of honor) functioned as Torah reader. The continuation of the text of the inscription (from the transposition) reads: "Simson fled like a winged eagle to the heavenly heights. He flew and went forth in a flash. He spread his wings and has already landed there. I would like to yell with a loud voice, but have no strength. No one can ease my pain. For after the effort comes Etnachta (which signifies the resting tone, thus rest). No man should think bad thoughts. For after a Darga (trope, also scale) there is a Tewir (also a trope, same as crossing). There follows a big empty spot so that one can only decipher what is at the end of the inscription: "The man Simson, son of ..., who went to his resting place (at the beginning of the Sabbath) on the new moon of Tamooz 598. May his soul be wrapped up in the bundle of his life."

It was in the years 1771-1772 that famine prevailed in Austria and it is thanks to the opposition to a commission for the prescribed grain commerce that we learn more facts about Simon Abraham and his life's accomplishments. Through the preserved documents of the archives of the Viennese exchequer we learn about this famine through a "Protocuollum Expeditionum in Getrayd-Sachen a Septembri 1770 usque ultimum Augusti 1772" which, under the 24 December 1771 lists that there were papers for 1200 pecks of corn designated for the Jews Simon Abraham from Strassnitz and Lazar Mendl of Hollitsch. The fact that Simon Abraham or Simon Siebenschein, and later his son Abraham, were quite prominent suppliers for the army can be concluded not only from what is stated above, but also from a notation of the War Council by Baron Schröder, Field Marshall-Lieutenant and catering inspector from 18 January 1792, in the records of the main Viennese War Archives, who knew that "the Jew Abraham Siebenschein and his father, the Jew Simon Abraham from Strassnitz, who presumably were still in contact with one another, as well as the 60's had immense provision contracts with the General-Supply-Administration and also afterward by his own management, but from this time on always with other names added to his Christian company suppliers came to light..."

At the main offices one can clearly see from 1780 on that during this time in the available records of the main office of Provisions (War Archives in Vienna) the business activities of Simon Abraham and his son. Even before the appearance of the name Siebenschein it could be seen in the records how the real Hebrew first name Schimson took on the form of Simsche, which alternated with Simon, which seemed to be more comfortable for non-Jewish ears and also the name of the son Abraham Simsche continuously appears, until finally in 1787 the first name of the father perhaps through the influence of the contemporary General Siembschön, the last name of Siebenschein evolved. Aside from that, the records of the main office of provisions mirror the successful transaction and frequently attempted and suggested business dealings of the Siebenscheins. They show the enormous difficulties that these men continually encountered and they let us recognize how the son, Abraham Siebenschein, had to ward off the colossal difficulties with great flexibility. Alone and also as spokesman of consortiums, Abraham Siebenschein always knew the advantage of his offers for the state to extol the terms of conditions, which in the one case was not plausible, but then the next opportunity would arise. It is like a tough battle, where it clearly came to view that Jewish businessmen were known as pioneers and -- stand-ins.

At this point one should reiterate that in the 60's one can frequently notice the Siebenscheins in the records of the Moravian Land Archives. So, for example in the 1777 Strassnitz Jewish Community there was an entry of "Simon Abraham, Jewish Judge" and a request that was made of the Strassnitz Community from the same year which reads as follows:

This consignment, which at least shows us the state of Simon Siebenschein's finances, his son and one of his sons-in-law, also informs us that the Purveyor for the Army, Simon Abraham, was actually a shopkeeper, but probably on a larger scale, whereas the son, Abraham, was already taking care of his own finances and was a Jewish supplier of brandy. This last fact as well as other facts demonstrates a transparency vis à vis the later endeavors of Abraham Siebenschein to deal in real estate. For the moment one should notice that these consignments from the Jewish Judge Salomon Benjamin and the sworn in Abraham Simon were manufactured. Another request also shows us that Abraham Simon was a Jewish Judge, and considering the young age of this man, one can assume that at this time one is referring to the father.

From 1780 on one can actually, thanks to the well-preserved records in the War Archives, trace the Siebenschein business and the officials working at these Archives should be thanked most heartily for their willingness to provide this massive amount of material. Especially in the next chapter that concerns itself with Abraham Siebenschein one should try to have an overview of his well-developed and massive enterprises. First we must occupy ourselves with the Patriarch of the family and his other sons, whereas the daughters are only known to us because one of them, Schewa, married Isak who is probably the same person as Isak Benjamin, son of Wolf Isak, in 1776, but the other, Rachel, married Abraham Bernard a year later, both married relatives.