Family History Stern
Herz Stern was born around 1791 and was apparently orphaned at an early age. His mother's childless sister Scheile, married to Aaron Seligmann in Roth, took him in when he was about four years old and raised him. After the death of her husband in 1796, Herz gradually took over her business and eventually ran it for her. On February 1, 1815, he concluded a marriage contract with his cousin Miriam Bonfang from Lohra, daughter of another of Scheile's sisters, in which it was stipulated that Scheile would give her nephew her house and yard, her business, all household goods and 600 fl of Frankfurt currency immediately after the marriage, with the exception of the lower room reserved for herself. Stern now applied for admission as a subject of the Electorate of Hesse. Although he was able to cite his long residence in Roth, his aunt's considerable inheritance - which would be taken out of the country if he was refused -, 1,100 fl from his parents' inheritance, his marriage contract, his release from the Grand Duchy's subject association and also the unanimous vote of the general assembly of the Roth community, this was initially rejected several times before finally being approved in 1818. In the meantime, Herz Stern had married Miriam Bonfang and had already fathered a daughter, who was named after his mother Hennel.
Miriam gave birth to an impressive nine children - two sons and seven daughters, two of whom died in infancy.
In the second generation, both of Herz Stern's sons, Haune and Bonfang, started families in Roth with the sisters Adelheid and Malchen Wetzstein from Treis/Lumda. They married in 1855 and 1857 respectively and had six children, one of whom died in infancy. Adelheid and Haune thus had only one surviving son, Herz, who grew up with four sisters. He went down in history as Herz II. Malchen and Bonfang had four children; one of their sons also died in infancy. The sons Herz and Mannes founded families in Roth, with Herz being listed in the records as the older - as Herz I.
In the third generation, Herz Stern I married Hilda Bachenheimer from Fronhausen in 1885 and had a son Berthold and a daughter Bertha with her. His brother Mannes Stern married Bertha Rosenbusch from Borken in 1891; their children were Toni, Hugo and Louis. After 1895, Herz Stern II married Emma Rothschild from Angenrod, with whom he had a daughter Selma and a son Hermann.
The fourth generation and their children were the ones who were driven into emigration by the Nazi regime or deported to the ghettos and extermination camps.
Family Tree Herz Stern
© Annegret Wenz-Haubfleisch
Jewish Families and Their Homes in Roth
Family Berthold Stern ››Vorne-Malches‹‹
Family Stern
Otto Stern (on the far right) in Roth Berthold Stern (1886–1929) lived with his family at 29 Lahntalstrasse. He was married to Klara (1891–1972), née Speier. They had two sons: Julius (1919–2005) and Otto (b. 1922). Berthold’s mother, Hilda (1862–1964), née Bachenheimer, also lived in the household.
Berthold Stern died in 1929. He had fought as a soldier in World War I, was wounded at the Somme, and was later taken prisoner by the French.
His wife Klara, along with their children Julius and Otto, managed to emigrate to the United States in 1937. Her mother-in-law followed in 1938.
Klara Stern
Lahntalstr 29Jewish Families and Their Homes in Roth
Family Herz Stern ››Herze‹‹
Herz Stern, Markus and Selma Roth
Helmut Höchster, Walter and Herbert Roth
Herbert Roth
The merchant Herz Stern II (1866–1943) lived at 20 Lahntalstr. with his wife Emma (1867–1937), née Rothschild, and their two children: their son Hermann and their daughter Selma (1899–1934). Hermann Stern served as a soldier in World War I. He was killed in action in 1917 on the Eastern Front. Selma remained in her parents’ home and lived there with her husband Markus Roth (1893–1966) from Nieder-Ohmen, as well as their children Herbert (b. 1923), Irene (b. 1925), and Walter (b. 1929).
Selma Roth died unexpectedly of a fever in 1934.
Irene, Selma, Walter and Herbert around 1930
Markus Roth remarried two years later. Family connections of his second wife, Toni Stern, enabled him, his wife, and their children to emigrate to the United States in 1938. Their daughter Helen was born there in January 1939. Emma Stern died in 1937.
Since Herz Stern was unable to accompany his family to the United States and was now alone, he moved to a retirement home in Frankfurt. He was deported from there to Theresienstadt in August 1942 and died there on January 15, 1943.
Invoice
Hermann Stern, 1917
Lahntalstraße 20, 1949
Emigrant Certificate Herbert RothJewish Families and Their Homes in Roth
Family Mannes Stern ››Herne-Malches‹‹
Louis, Bertha, Hugo Stern (around 1939)
Toni Stern, around 1925
Unter der Linde 1
The family of Mannes Stern (1861–1933) lived at Unter der Linde 1, where he also ran his small fabric business. He and his wife Bertha (*1869), née Rosenbusch, had three children: sons Louis (*1894) and Hugo (*1896), and daughter Toni (1898–1998). After Mannes Stern’s death on January 29, 1933, his widow continued to run the business, presumably together with her younger son Hugo.
Louis worked at a large ready-to-wear clothing store in Frankfurt and lived there during the week until he was forced to return to Roth in 1939. Toni Stern married the widower Markus Roth in 1936 and emigrated with her family to the United States in 1938.
Bertha Stern - Excerpt from a letter
Transcription “My dear ones! I received your letter today; I cannot describe to you how delighted and surprised we were. I am glad that you, Toni, are doing so well and that the child is healthy, too. Please accept my warmest congratulations; I hope that my little grandson will grow up to be a source of joy for you and for us.” (Letter dated Jan. 21, 1939)
Despite numerous efforts, Bertha, Louis, and Hugo Stern were unable to comply. On September 6, 1942, they were deported to Theresienstadt, and in 1943 and 1944, respectively, to Auschwitz. They did not survive.
