The Rothschilds of Hörstein
We began our trip to Germany exploring the Rothschilds in Frankfurt and concluded with the Rothschilds in Hörstein. This small village, about 42 Km from Frankfurt, dates back to at least 800 of the Common Era. We don’t know when the first Jews lived in the area, but we do know that the first burials in the Jewish cemetery were in 1812. Debbie’s family, going back through her Rothschild branch, were in Hörstein at least by 1845 when Koppel Rothschild was born there.
We went to Hörstein to see where Koppel & Rosa (nee Strauss) Rothschild, Debbie’s Great-Great Grandparents lived and died. To see where Debbie’s Opa, Fritz Rothschild, went to visit his Oma and Opa. Debbie was honored as if she was was being welcomed home.
Two months ago, we weren’t sure who to contact to find the key to the cemetery. I emailed the local historical society and after I was forwarded around a few times, I was connected with Oded Zhanger. We have learned that there is one expert in every town and you have to find that person. Oded is that person for Hörstein. He was born in Tiberias in Northern Israel and came to Germany many years ago for his career in High Tech. When he was first in Hörstein, he went jogging through the fields with his dogs and came across the Jewish cemetery. One thing led to another and he began a project of documenting the cemetery.
Mayor Stephan Noll welcomed us at the Bela & Israel-Wahler-Platz which is a new plaza honoring two Jewish leaders in town from before the Holocaust. The square is a memorial to the Jewish community of Hörstein that was destroyed by the Nazis.
Bela & Israel-Wahler-Platz
This sculpture sits at the edge of the property where the synagogue stood until it was destroyed on Kristalnacht.
Mayor Stephan Noll welcoming Debbie to Hörstein with Oded Zhanger looking on.
Excuse my thumbprint. Mayor Stephan Noll presenting Debbie with the book that documents the Jewish Cemtery and a bottle of Wine produced in town. It is the Mayor’s special stock.
The Mayor asked us to sign the official registry for the city.
The Rothschild family home in Hörstein. It has since been divided into two homes as you can see here. The white half has been updated. For several decades after the Rothschilds, it served as the post office. The city is going to help us determine if any local records exist that might name generations of the family that lived there before Koppel.
From the corner looking at the end of the house.
View of the walled Jewish Cemetery as you drive out of Hörstein into the public parkland and farming area.
View of the farmland from the cemetery.
Local students had visited recently and left notes and stones.
Debbie at the grave of her Great-Great Grandfather Koppel Rotschild.
Debbie and Oded examining other Rothschild headstones.
Rose (nee Strauss) Rothschild, Debbie’s Great-Great Grandmother
Sprinz and Kusel Rotschild, Debbie’s Great-Great Grand Aunt and Uncle
Oded is working with the local school district to research the Jews who lived in the area before the war and to create stölpersteins in their memory. We look forward to working with him as a contact in the area to help us do more research and to support his work in preserving the memory of those that came before us.
