Welcome to My Family Albums
These family albums currently focus on family members with a strong Vienna connection: My mother’s eight aunts and uncles (whether by marriage or birth) and their children. The Schmerling family was the closest to my mother — see the picture of my mother as a little girl with her cousin Stella Schmerling and Stella’s dog — and they’ve generously provided a great many photos, much to the benefit of this album.
Ernestine Kornmehl Rosenbaum Family
The only photos I have of my mother and her parents in the early years in Vienna, these not only give a glimpse of a way of life, but tell a bit of a story, though they pose more questions than they answer. It’s clear, for example, that my grandfather, Hermann Rosenbaum, served in World War I and that he sent his brother-in-law, Siegmund Kornmehl (Freud’s butcher), a postcard of himself while he was away. But I wonder: Did Siegmund give the postcard to my grandmother, Ernestine Kornmehl Rosenbaum, as soon as he received it — he was eight years older than my grandfather, which would explain why he stayed behind in Vienna rather than going to war — or did he give it to my mother later on, as a keepsake when she was leaving for America?
For a larger view, please click on the photos.
David and Mitzi Kornmehl Family
The only family that I heard about when I was growing up was the Schmerling family. My mother used to talk about her aunt Mitzi and her first cousins Stella, Mimi (Hermine or Herma) and Ditte (Edith). I met all four of them, Mitzi and Stella in Vienna, where they returned after the war, and Mimi and Ditte in London.
Heinrich and Lilly Schmerling Family
My great uncle David Schmerling’s brother, Heinrich, looked quite a bit like him, causing some confusion, but these pictures, provided by Heinrich’s family members, prove they got sorted out.
Kornmehl-Schmerling Family Butcher Shops
There’s a reason that this blog is called Freud’s Butcher. Here are a few of the pictures of the businesses in Freud’s time — as well as of later businesses that continued the tradition.
What you have gathered is fantastic; Have you been able to find ot anything about your father’s family? I remember your mother (when they returned from their trip to Vienna) that Your father had a brother in England and they spent some time with them. He coveted to Catholicism or married a catholic women to escape the Nazi’s.
Many weird things occurred @ Ellis Island: My Grandfather (Mother’s side) and his brother had different last names; as a kid I never understood that but finally nagging my father he told me @ Ellis Island they went through 2 different lines and My grandfather became MINK and his brother (different line) was renamed Minkowitz. They were from Minsk Russia. But the Ellis Island employs were from NYC so the nmaes were ‘familair’ to them And neither Ruben (Ruven–my grandfather) spoke English.
I am currently writing a bio/novel about my Fathers–his 3 brothers AND My Grandmother. She was really something and was always 1 step ahead of them. Fortunately the stories my father and uncles told painted a difficult life BUT rip-roaring Funny. And the Humor DNA passed down to me and my brother.
I’ll send you a sample chapter and photo of me, my brother and 1st cousins. I still lol @ the knickers she made us wear!
Cambridge. 1950
Minda nee Brenner remembers irwin
Now living in Surrey
Do you remember. Me ??
Minda, my father Erwin Schmerling passed away December 2009. Were you a classmate of his?
Were parents apart of the Kosher Meat Boycott? I am doing a project on it.
I have been tracking information on the Korhmehl family and found your article about Curt Allina who was my cousin. I can fill you in on family information that you indicated you wondered about. I am Helena Kornmehl Neugasser’s granddaughter.
I remember your parents: Paul and Rita and that they had 2 daughters.
People did stay in touch by mail in the 1930’s. Ervin didn’t just disappear. He went to work on ships crossing to America. He made several crossings. When he came to New York in about 1938, the family told him to stay. That he shouldn’t return because of the Anschlus. So, he did. He lived with our family until the early 1950’s when he remarried. They also made strong attempts to get the rest of his family out of Europe but were unsuccessful.
Yes, they tracked the refugee ships to ensure that if there were relatives on them, they were welcomed. Both Hettie Kornmehl Sternberg and her family and Egon Kornmehl and his wife were also shoe horned into the family apartment in Brighton Beach.
Until the mid-1960’s when my grandmother died, there were always cousins over for coffee and her fabulous baking.
It would be nice to get in touch with you.