Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Joseph Herzenberg

Male Abt 1858 - 1914  (~ 56 years)


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  • Name Joseph Herzenberg 
    Born Abt 1858  Kuldiga (Goldingen), Courland, Latvia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 12 May 1914  Liepaja (Libau), Courland, Latvia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried South Cemetery, Liepaja (Libau), Courland, Latvia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I4034  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father Naphtali Herzenberg,   b. 1827, of Pilten (Piltene), Courland, Latvia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Aft 1907, of Kuldiga (Goldingen), Courland, Latvia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age > 81 years) 
    Mother Agnes Brenner,   b. of Kuldiga (Goldingen), Courland, Latvia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 6 Feb 1920, Liepaja (Libau), Courland, Latvia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married Bef 1856  of Kuldiga (Goldingen), Courland, Latvia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F1910  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Frieda Behrman 
    Married Bef 1913  of Liepaja (Libau), Courland, Latvia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F1933  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Website of Peter Bruce Herzenberg of London, England (since relocated to South Africa). Website is no longer functioning as of 7 Aug 2007. Copies of his data from website in my possession. He indicates references by codes, which pertain to the original source and file held in his database. I have no key to the sources; however, he lists the main researchers and their contributions in a lengthy report which I include in full in the notes of the earliest Herzenberg of this database. In regards to this individual:
      "Jews in Eastern Europe usually had at least two and often 3 names. Their Hebrew name, Osher (Asher), Eleazer, Arye etc. were used often in combination with their Yiddish names in the synagogue and on their tombstones. Their Yiddish names, Lemchen, Leiser, Leib etc. were used in their daily activities and often with the authorities until such time as they adopted civil names largely as a result of the above mentioned process. Then names such as Ludwig, Leopold, William etc. appeared. A Jewish child was called after a deceased grandparent, firstly paternal, if the paternal grandparent was still living or if he/she was the second child they were then called after the maternal grandparent - then followed great grandparents uncles etc. This is the basis for extrapolation. To carry it a little further. In the synagogue you were called up to the Torah by your own name and your patronymic that is your father's name. Likewise on a tombstone in Hebrew is inscribed the name of the deceased as well as his patronymic."
      Hebrew Yiddish German English Other Derivatives
      Eliahu Elias
      Eleazer Leiser
      Jossel Yosel Yosef Joseph
      Lemchen
      Levin Leib Leo
      Lazar Louis
      Herman Elcanan Chone
      Leonard
      Leopold
      Osher Asher
      Schuel Schmuel Samuel Sam, Sammy,Shmulick, Shmuly
      Chana Sheina Hanna Chiene, Heine, Schön

      2. Courland (Kurzeme in Latvian, Kurland in German) is the historically distinct area of modern day Latvia bounded by the Baltic Sea to the west, Lithuania to the south, and the Dvina River (now Daugava) to the North. Its historic capital was Mitau (now Jelgava). It had ice-free Baltic ports with commercial and strategic importance. At its height Courland was a prosperous and cultured German-speaking Duchy. Courland was a separate Gubernia (Province) of the Russian Empire from 1797-1918. 50-60% of the Jews living in Riga just north of Courland had family roots in Courland. The names of the various towns have changed now that the area is part of Latvia (new-old as of early 1900s):
      Aizpute-Hasenpoth
      Jelgava-Mitau
      Kuldiga-Goldingen
      Liepaja-Libau
      Piltene-Pilten
      Talsi-Talsen
      Ventspils-Windau

      3. Website of Peter Bruce Herzenberg of London, England (since relocated to South Africa). Website is no longer functioning as of 7 Aug 2007. Copies of much of his data from the website in my possession. He indicates references by codes, which pertain to the original source and file held in his database, which I have not seen. I have no key to the sources except HL is Leonardo Herzenberg, HG is Gail Herzenberg, PC is probably Piltene Cemetery records, LA is probably Latvian Archives, FA is probably Aleksandrs Feigmanis (Latvian researcher hired by Harold Hodes), and YL is Len Yodaiken (Israeli researcher hired by Harold Hodes); however, he lists the main researchers and their contributions in a lengthy report which I include in full in the notes of the earliest Herzenberg of this database. In regards to this individual:
      Name variations: Josepf, Joss Naftal, Joseph.
      HL 106/067 shows b. Goldingen, d. abt 1913 in Libau, md. Behrman.
      D1912.
      Died of intestinal cancer. Founded the firm Gebruder Herzenberg with his brother Leonard.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. 28 Jul 2007 Http://www.herzenberg.net/leo/htmlrh/Content.html copyrighted by Leo Herzenberg:
      "An meinen Sohn (To my son) Leonhard Herzenberg von (from) Robert Herzenberg. Memoirs written during the 1940's." Translated during the 1990's by Leonardo (Leonhard) Herzenberg. The entire memoir is quite lengthy and included in its entirety in my notes with Joseph Herzenberg, the original known ancestor, in this database. The following is only the portion dealing with this part of the family:
      The GENERATION of MY PARENTS
      [78] My grandparents Naftali and Nese had four sons and six daughters: Leonhard, Joseph, Ignatz, Leopold, Sarah, Ernestine, Sophie, Fanny, Dora, and Lina.
      All four brothers lived in Libau. Uncle Joseph, who later became a business partner of my father's, married a Behrman, aunt Frieda. They had no children. He died of intestinal cancer shortly before the first world war. He did not get along well [79] with my father, but they were shackled together for many years by the Brothers Herzenberg firm. It did not help that the sisters in law got along even worse. In any case, to me he was more rude than friendly and my every try for a loan [pumpversuch] during my student time failed [schlug fehl]. Even once when he loaned me 10 mark for my return from Heidelberg to Libau, he insisted on my father paying him back immediately on his return...
      ...The four brothers were all bald. They all had received a very poor cheder education. My father was the only one who could speak and write [83] German with no trouble, who had taught himself a remarkable education, who sometimes read a book or appreciated good music. Everything he knew of western and Jewish culture was entirely self-taught. The other three brothers remained at the point at which they had left the Cheder. They never left Libau and were very narrow-minded, and though they were my uncles, they and I did not have any contact areas. They never understood my student needs, and never helped me...
      ...Soon after his second marriage Papachen with his brother Joseph founded the firm Gebruder Herzenberg. The shop was located in the Knopf building, on the corner of Korn and Julian streets. After a few years the whole [126] block of buildings up to the market burned down. The shop changed locations several times until the Knopf's rebuilding was complete. The shop again moved back to the old corner, and is still there. However, I don't know what it is called now, since the Bolsheviks who took back Latvia after France collapsed in June 1940 "nationalized" the business, that is took it over without compensation, and your uncle George, the owner, was set out on the street.
      The business went well, but it was no true happiness. Papachen did not get along with uncle Joseph, and Mamachen even less so with aunt Frieda, uncle Joseph's wife. Both had equal rights, and when Papachen hired somebody, and uncle Joseph did not like them, the latter would fire them. But they both withstood it. Shortly before the world war uncle Joseph died, and Papachen became sole owner...
      ... I was here in Oruro, I had just gotten a letter from him written in good spirits, since an improvement in his condition had occurred, when the telegram with the sad news arrived. I had lost not only my father, but also the best friend on earth, and the most noble person I ever knew. Papachen's funeral in Libau was exceptional, the coffin was kept in the synagogue, and there the memorial orations were given, Now he rests in the south cemetery next to Mamachen, grandmother, and uncle Joseph..."

      BIRTH:
      1. Date and place are unsubstantiated guesses only by Kenny Petersen.

      MARRIAGE:
      1. Date and place are unsubstantiated guesses only by Kerry Petersen.

      BURIAL:
      1. Research report dated 6 Jul 1997 from Latvian researcher Aleksandrs Feigmanis, Crestes 2-12, LV-1021, Riga, Latvia, to Harold Hodes of London, England (partial copy of eight pages in my possession). In one section he notes burials in Libau as follows:
      -Joseph Herzberg, died 29-4-1914.
      -Nesse Herzenberg, died 6-2-1920.
      -Sara-Haye Herzenberg, died 23-11-1923.
      -Leonhard Herzenberg, died 15-7-1932.
      -Leib Herzenberg (or Liba?), died 9-9-1926

      2. Website for "Liepaja Jewish Cemetery Book, 1909-1941," accessed 4 Aug 2010 shows a Joseph Herzenberg, d. 12 May 1914 (16 Iyar 5674). No other Josephs after 1909 and before 1941.

      3. Findagrave.com for Liepaja Jewish Cemetery, memorial# 22286495: Joseph Herzenberg, unknown birth, d. May 12, 1914.

      SOURCES_MISC:
      1. Leonardo Herzenberg http://www.herzenberg.net/