I thought that my recent post about the origin of the Schmerling name had laid the topic to rest. After going through a series of logical steps, I was certain that the source of the name, handed down matrilinealy, was "loach fish," chosen from a list provided by the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the Jews in 1787 when they mandated the taking of Germanic surnames. I subsequently
Kornmehl family
Of Photo Identification & British-to-American Translation
I often feel deficient in the genealogy department. When it comes to tracing documents, I have been spoiled by help from others, by getting gifts of fish, as the old saying goes, rather than fishing lessons. But I recently discovered that I've learned quite a bit about my mother's family in the past year -- which was, after all, what I set out to do. So forgive a little
A Reboot, A Rabbi & A Reunion
...walk into a bar. Just kidding. But that title cried out for it. The Reboot I had a wake up call recently, thanks in part to a comment by guest poster and Viktor Frankl biographer Anna Redsand. Who are all these people you're writing about? she asked. You need a scorecard -- or at least a family tree -- to keep them straight. Only she put it far more
In Stiches: My Family’s Sewing Tradition
I talk a lot about food on this blog -- and everywhere else, for that matter. As a dining writer, I've followed in the footsteps of the grain traders, butchers, cafe owners, chocolatiers and other food-related business folks in my mother's family... in my fashion. And fashion is what I want to discuss now. I can't claim to be nearly as savvy about another trade that I
Who Put the Heads on Pez? My Cousin Curt!
One of my cousins is a pop culture icon. Or at least the source of one. Many members of the Kornmehl family have been successful. We've got doctors, lawyers, scientists, bankers, and writers in the clan, as well as a famous (on the East Coast) chocolatier. But, as far as public recognition is concerned, no one holds a candle to Curt Allina. You may not know his name but you
A Kornmehl Reunion (Of Sorts)
The genealogical adventures of the far-flung Kornmehl family continue! This week turned out to be a guest post double header. Today's contribution was written by a different Kornmehl family member, but it was also made possible by the organizational skills of Jill Leibman Kornmehl, who is as good at people gathering as she at document gathering. I'm not going to be overly
An Inspiring Woman: Frances Kornmehl
I often wondered why Jill Leibman Kornmehl, a key contributor to this blog, got so involved with researching her husband's family, the Kornmehls--rather than, say, her own family. Today I present the answer, in Jill's words. It's a story filled with miracles, large and small. An Inspiring Woman by Jill Leibman Kornmehl It was not the most opportune time to have a
Rewriting My Childhood: A Tale of Mystery Relatives
It boggles the mind, how little I knew about my family until I started writing this blog. My mother was an only child and, as far as I knew, everyone in her immediate family had died in Europe. I had one living uncle on my father's side, but he returned to Vienna after the war and I didn't meet him until I was 19. In effect, I grew up without relatives -- at least not the
Ezriel Kornmehl Seeks Out Sigmund Freud
Earlier this week, I returned to the story of Ezriel Kornmehl, introducing his parents and siblings -- and throwing in a little celebrity glitter. Today I take him from his birth in Tarnow, Poland, to the start and completion of his education in Vienna. From high school to med school Ezriel was born in 1891 and attended gymnasium (high school) in Tarnow. Upon the completion
Is Julianna Margulies My Cousin?
I'm not going to lie. After being away for a while, it's been a little tough getting back into my family history. For one thing, all roads seem to lead to antisemitism, if not death. Then there's the learning curve. It feels like a lifetime ago that I took February's Family History Writing Challenge -- at least long enough that it's taken me a while to reacquaint myself
Rudolph Kornmehl: 3 Butcher Shops & the End of a Jewish Era in Vienna
I named my blog for Siegmund Kornmehl because he had the luck to open one of his three butcher shops in the same building where Sigmund Freud lived and practiced, but I actually know a bit more about Siegmund's brother Rudolph. Like Siegmund, he owned and operated three butcher shops in Vienna. There were other butchers in the family, but I'll leave them for later. One of My
Freud’s Butcher: Reuniting Old Friends Since 2012
Some of the topics I cover on this blog are difficult; my last few posts have been about the Holocaust, Austrian antisemitism, and my mother's sad past. Today, however, I move on to a far happier subject: Renewed friendships. I've mentioned the many relatives who were located through this blog. But as wonderful as it is to unearth family ties and potential relationships,
Coming Attractions!
I'm back. Yes, I needed a break after the daily deadlines of February's Family History Writing Challenge, but I miss the structure and accountability that the challenge provided. I thought if I told you what's upcoming on my blog I would be committed to write about those topics or, as you'll see, shame others into providing promised guest posts. If I say so myself, there's
The Whole Megillah: A Purim Mystery & Hamentasch Digression
I've saved the story of this genealogical mystery, which holds clues to the interactions of the entire Vienna Kornmehl family, until today because it involves a megillah, a scroll of the biblical Book of Esther, and today is Purim, which celebrates the events told in that story. It takes place in Persia and involves a clueless (sometimes drunken) king, two queens, two
A Tree Grows in Israel, Evoking Brooklyn Memories
Yesterday, I wrote about the memorial tree planted for Kamilla, the mother of Viktor and Bertschi Kornmehl, tracing it to a project designed to pay tribute to the memory of Rabbi Zvi Perez Chajes. I wondered what happened to the Chajes Forest and Kamilla's tree and set out to find them. I didn't succeed, but the search shook loose some memories. The Tradition of Tree