Jewish commerce in Schneidemühl —1896
— a plethora of old-established, individual stores —
(Copyrighted material)

   


After the rebuilding of Schneidemühl in the wake of the Great Fire of 1834 and after the elimination of the old ghetto, many Jewish families began to live on and around the town's squares and its adjoining streets. An examination of the Schneidemühl City Directory of 1896 reveals how the new Jewish burghers clustered there as a result of the commercial upswing, brought about by the unification of the German Reich in 1871.

Nearly one third of the houses on Neuer Markt, Mühlenstrasse, Friedrichstrasse, Posenerstrasse, Wilhelmstrasse were Jewish owned, while some had only Jewish tenants. This was Schneidemühl's Jewish heart.

Ironically, the occupations that had been forced upon Jews over the centuries now helped them to excel—often to become leaders in their field—and to climb the ladders of success in this era of industrial capitalism. Fin-de-siècle Schneidemühl could boast of a petit bourgeoisie that then included some of the wealthiest and best-known Jewish families.

These surviving calling cards (below) from the last decades of the 19th and the early 20th century make for interesting reading.




The stores on elegant Posener Strasse

[now known as ul. Srodmiejska]

posenerstr.
.
(Photo courtesy of J. Rosenberg, Chile)


simonstein

[Salomon Simonstein, owner of Posener Strasse 3]
Large collection of cloths, suits and dresses in exceptional variety,
carpets, curtains and goose feathers



baumann

[Owner of the building, - one of his tenants was the well loved Rabbi S. Brann.]
 Men's suits made to measure in-store, guaranteed workmanship




leschnik

Lamps, Crystal, porcelain, brushes, cutlery, plumbing.
Specialty: new kitchens & enamelled dishes



lindenstrauss

[Building owned by Lesser Hirsch]
Store owner Julius Schmuel - later Julius Neumann.
Haberdashery, linen, wool, drapery, cotton, millinery

 - largest and finest establishment -
- retail and wholesale -




gabriel-israel

[Owner of the building]
Beef butchery - finest beef and saussages



samuelsohn

[Owner of the building]
Colonial produce, grocery, wine, tobacco and cigars
liqueur and vinegar factory
- the oldest family-owned company in Schneidemühl -
- established in 1816 -




klein

Men's and boys' clothing, hats, shoes, boots, gloves, suitcases, umbrellas,
- made-to-measure wardrobe for men, finest workmanship guaranteed -




zander

"Druggist at the Red Cross"
Photographic material, cosmetics, chocolade, Chinese tea, toiletries, soaps
ready oil paints and lacquer, brushes and spot removers
- specialties: hair, teeth and body cosmetics -





The stores on "fashionable" Friedrich Strasse
[now ul. Bohaterów Stalingradu]

friedrichstr
.
(Photo courtesy of J. Rosenberg, Chile)


mottek

[Building owned by Benno Falk]
Books, art and music. Stationery and lending library.



kantorowicz

Largest collection and variety of hand-crafted furs, hats in felt and silk,
reliable and clean repairs.
- Established since 1847 -




ansbach

[Building owned by Isidor Schweriner]
Farm equipment, iron and steel wares, tools for smiths and locksmiths,
pumping and water equipment, sawing machines, English and Silesian coal,
glasswares, toys and fancy goods.






Stores on Zeughaus Strasse
[now ul. 1 Maja]

zeughausstr.
.
(Photo courtesy of J. Rosenberg, Chile)


jacob

[Zeughaus Strasse No. 7]
Various types of potatoes, cheeses and onions
- wholesale and export -




lippmann

[Building owned by R. Lippmann]
Fine quality beef and veal, variety of saussages
- specialty: cold meats -





Hasselort
[now Ogińskiego Michaela]
  
sommerfeld

Branch of the Borkendorf Mill
- owned by Isidor Sommerfeld, one of Schneidemühl 's wealthiest businessmen -






Bromberger Strasse
[now Plac Powstancow W. Wy.]

brombergerstr.
.
(Photo courtesy of J. Rosenberg, Chile)


jachmann

Watchmaker, mechanic, optician. Gold and silver pocket watches, eye glasses,
clocks of all varieties, barometers, thermometers, cutlery, rings, chains and brooches.




littwack

Colonial produce, groceries, destillery, animal feed, hay, straw and oats
- Restaurant and billiard room -





Neuer Markt
- the typical market day in much of eastern Europe -
[now Plac Zwyciestwa]

neuermarkt
.
(Photo courtesy of Rudy Simonstein, New York)


jonas

[Building owned by Isert Asch]
Jeweller and goldsmith. Large variety of modern garnet and coral jewellery, men's and
ladies' watches, engraving, repairs and special orders, buyers of gold and silver.



brieger

Neuer Markt 10.
Theater & concert house, large dining room suitable for weddings and other festivities.




rome

[Building owned by Eduard Zander]
Exceptional beds, fine cuisine, affordable prices for the travelling public.
Own coachman available at the railway station.




hirsch

Lesser Hirsch — Cheapest source in town for ready-made and fashion ware,
made-to-measure suits for men,
finest craftsmanship. Solid but low prices.





Kleine Kirchen Strasse
[now ul. Bohaterów Stalingradu]

kleinkirchenstr.
.
(Photo courtesy of H. Simonstein, Chile)


kronheim

Immigration bureau for Posen, Pomerania and West Prussia




Breite Strasse
[now ul. 11 Listopada]

arndt

[Owner of the building - Breite Strasse 4]
Furniture movers by land or by train. Guaranteed and insured.




Mühlen Strasse/Wasser Strasse
(now part of Plac Zwyciestwa)

simonsteinmuehlenstr.

(Photos courtesy of H. Simonstein, Chile)

kaufhaussimonstein

 [Mühlen Strasse 10 (corner Wasser Strasse) — established 1880 by Moses Simonstein]
— one of the larger, typical Konfektion establishments, offering everything from prêt-à-porter
to tailor-made suits, shirts, carpets, linen and fine cloths.







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