Family History

 

This page is an attempt to show how the modern day descendants of Isaak are related, as well as tell a little about him. Recently his 4th great grandson on the paternal line had his DNA test done at 23andme so we now know that the Y chromosome for our Steinhardt family it haplogroup T which is probably middle eastern (arabian?) and fairly rare. I recently have been putting the genealogy information at geni.com because it is easier to collaborate there and it is easy to use.

In the course of researching my ancestors I have heard from or about over 20 fifth cousins who are also descended from Isaak. These include a state senator, the chief hydrologist of the USA, a TV news broadcaster, programmers, university professors, and a trader in old stock certificates.

The following ancestors are preceeded by their generation number in descent from Fradel Lazarus of Sulzbach.

2. ISAAK STEINHARDT (b.Abt 1754-Floss,Bavaria m.1780 d.Abt 1840)

From the Hoepfinger book:

Before 1814 he was known as Isaak Scheyer. His wife Sara was the daughter of Fradel Lazarus of Sulzbach.

In the list of 1799 he is shown as having 2 sons, 5 daughters, a wife Sara, and 3000 fl (tying with Joseph Marum for 2nd richest man in the community, David Pomeisler at 4000 being the richest).

His business as interpreted by a cousin is, "He was very successful as a merchant of goods like wool/leather/cloth; it also says he was a lender, I believe." in German: "auslaend. Handel mit Woole, Tuch, Pferden, ab und zu inlaend. Handel mit Federb, Leder, Tuch;"

He lived in house number 30 (p. 358 in the Hoepfinger book) which was insured for 800 gulden in 1805 but assessed at 1500 in 1806. This house previously belonged to Jesaias Eisig who may have been Isaak's father (one family tree from a descendant shows Isaak as the great grandson of one of FIEFAS brothers who settled Floss originally. According to naming conventions that would make Eisig Fiefas Isaak's grandfather but this is unproven. The house was given to his son Scheyer (Jesaias) Isaak (Steinhardt) in 1813 or 1814. Note the use of the name Jesaias as an alternate to Scheyer.

He had seven children, I am in touch with the descendants of three of his daughters and one of his sons as shown below. The picture above left shows a festival in Floss in 1926 and probably some of our ancestors.

For more information about Floss see the website commemorating the Floss Jewish community. 

3. Gella STEINHARDT (b.1783 d.30 Nov 1869-Floss)

Married Moses Nathan REICHENBERGER (b.1768-Floss m.1801 d.Aft 1835-Floss). She had seven children also.

Her oldest child, daughter 4. Fradel REICHENBERGER (b.17 Feb 1802-Floss d.21 Nov 1876-Floss) married Hennoch Jacob HOENIGSBERGER (b.15 May 1798-Floss m.21 Sep 1828 d.19 Jul 1868-Floss) and from this pair our HOENIGSBERGER, HONBERG, HOLMES, WILMERSDOERFER (Wilmers), BROWN, and HAHN relatives descend.

Her second child, daughter 4. Jette REICHENBERGER (b.2 Feb 1807-Floss d.25 Dec 1888-Nuernberg) married Salomon TUCHMANN (b.26 Apr 1808-Uhlfeld m.3 Jan 1832 d.15 Apr 1875-Nuernberg) and from this pair our TUCHMANN, HIRSCHHORN, HAMMELBACHER, and McCAULEY cousins descend.

I am not in touch with descendants of the other children, surnames include STEINHARDT, BOSKOWITZ, and ENGELMANN.

3. Gietel STEINHARDT (b.18 Oct 1788-Floss d.9 Mar 1879-Floss)

Married Marum Aron HOENIGSBERGER (b.9 Apr 1778-Floss m.7 Feb 1810 d.9 Mar 1862-Floss) and had nine children

The BLATH and FISCHER relatives are descended from her second child, daughter 4. Feidel HOENIGSBERGER (b.21 Sep 1813) who married Adolph MANDELBAUM (b.Sulzbach)

Next the FREUND and GUMPEL relatives descend from the third child, daughter 4. Miriam Marie HOENIGSBERGER (b.25 Dec 1815-Floss d.9 Aug 1885-Mitwitz) sp: Abraham Hirsch FREUND (b.14 Sep 1814-Mitwitz m.1849 d.18 Sep 1890-Coburg)

3. Semele STEINHARDT (b.May 01, 1791-Floss d.30 Nov 1869-Floss)

Married first Liebmann Aron Hoenigsberger (d. January 02, 1814-Floss) and had two children. Then married Loeb Joel Langermann (b.Abt. 1790-Floss d. June 22, 1875-Floss) and had 8 more children.

The Langermann and Stienhardt families were very much in business together and they had a mirror factory in the valley of Murnthal. Click here for more on that.

The family story is that she was rather mean. She is reputed to have said "Raise dogs, not children. Dogs are more grateful"

The THANNHAUSER families (MUNSON, BEYER, DUNAU, and WIRZ) are descended from her oldest son, Salomon Loew Langermann (b. July 13, 1820 -Floss d. May 19, 1877-Floss) who married Auguste Gugenheimer (b.September 17, 1822 Regensburg). Two of their daughters, Charlotte and Karolina, married the brothers Joseph and Albert THANNHAUSER of Munich

The KAUFMANN and KREIGSMAN families are descended from their son Wolf Langermann, known as William Langerman in the USA where he added 6 years to his age and claimed to be born in 1817. (b: February 17, 1823 Floss d: 1869 NYC married Rosalia Lichtenheim of NYC). We have a portrait of him and his new wife that his descendants also have, along with copies of the same portraits that we have of Semele and Loeb . His daughter Flora Speigelberg became a famous pioneer woman in Santa Fe, NM and writer of children's books.

The BURSTEIN and PAGE families are descended from their daughter Rifka (b. October 23, 1831 -Floss d. September 25, 1891) who married Aron BOMEISLER (b. August 08, 1822-Floss d.August 26, 1898 -Fuerth) whose son Karl emigrated to NYC.

3. Abraham Isaak STEINHARDT (June 18, 1793 d.June 23, 1863-Floss)

The youngest child, the New York area Steinhardt family that we are in touch with and who provided the DNA sample are descended from him via his son. He married Miriam Hoenigsberger which multiplies the relationship to the original settlers of Floss, namely her great grandfather Marum Eisig, brother to Eisig (probably Isaak's grandfather or great-grandfather).

His son Joseph Steinhardt (b. June 30, 1835 d.April 05, 1878 m Sophie Oppenheimer) had Max Steinhardt (b.June 17, 1866 d. 1923 m. Emma Herman) who had Joseph Max Steinhardt (b. May 09, 1905 d.November 13, 1970 in NY,NY) from whom this branch descends

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