Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles, Festival of Shelters) is a holiday commemorating the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and wandering in the desert during which they experienced direct divine protection. At the time of this holiday, the sukkot (in Polish „kuczki”) are being built, in which people […]
The Nobiscum Foundation cordially invites you to the exhibition “The Jewish Count. The story of Stanisław Posner”, which this time we will have the pleasure to present in the exhibition hall of the Municipal Culture Centre in Płońsk to all the guests of the 3rd […]
The property with the former mortgage number 281 is located in the eastern corner of Tumska and Kościuszki streets, in the space of the historic downtown of Płock.
The first owner of the property was Ludwik Mahn, an assessor, the architect of the Płock department, and also a member of the Masonic Lodge in Płock. After the death of Ludwik Mahn, the property was owned in 1824 by his widow, Fryderyka née Wolters from the Pomerania region, daughter of Krystian and Anna Maria née Werner, and their children – son Karol Henryk Antoni and daughter Amalia Szarlotta Leopoldyna. After the death of his mother and sister, Karol Henryk Antoni sold the inherited property to Bogumiła Rościszewska née Ligowska, daughter of Jan and Marianna née Dobrosielska, wife of the captain of the Polish Army Franciszek Maksymilian Rościszewski. The next owner of the property was Ludwik Bergman, and after his death, in 1853, Amalia Bergman and Laura Amanda, Sydonia Ewelina and Ferdynand Edmund, the Bergman siblings. In 1877 Moryc Lewenstein became the owner of the property.
Moryc Lewenstein was born in Mława in 1833 as the son of Lejba and Ryfka Ruchla. His wife was Chawa née Pinkus, daughter of Naftali and Ruchla, born in 1844 in Kutno.
On 9/21 August 1863, Moryc Lewenstein received permission to conduct business activity, which included: non-guild trade in spices, soap, candles, herring, cereals, glass, stationery, footwear, cotton and linen products, various small items, wines and foreign liquors. The company recommended in particular Hungarian barrel and bottled wines (from Hegyal and Tokaj regions), as well as French, Spanish, Rhine, champagne, flavored liqueur wines, French aperitif Saint-Raphael, Crimean and Caucasian wines, London porter, vodkas, liqueurs, French and domestic cognac, Russian vodkas by Popow, Koszelew and Sztriter, tinctures, bottled honey, as well as sugar and tea from various companies. The company’s offer included truffles, capers, olives, mustards, Astrakhan caviar, Dutch herring and various types of cheese. Lewensztejn maintained trade contacts, among others with a St. Petersburg merchant and also the owner of the largest delicatessen in Russia located on Nevsky Prospect – Grigorij Jelisiejew. Lewenstein’s shop also recommended a wide selection of “fancy and modernist” wallpapers from the well-known Warsaw company of Józef Franaszek, operating on the corner of Marszałkowska and Złota streets.
Moryc and Chawa had several children: Naftali (born in 1867), Nachman (born in 1869), Fajga (born in 1872), Rafał (born in 1873), Gelia (born in 1877) and Pinkus (born in 1881). The second child of Moryc – Nachman, married Teodozja Maria née Piekarska, daughter of Wojciech and Bronisława née Schmidt, who was born in Kalisz in 1885. Nachman Lewenstein worked as a clerk. Rafał Lewenstein’s wife was Aleksandra née Michajłow, daughter of Prokop and Matylda née Braun, born in 1898 in Płock, of an Orthodox religion. In 1921, Rafał converted from Jewish to Evangelical-Augsburg religion.
Since 1862, at 1 Kościuszki Street there was a sculpting and framing company of Walerian Krowicki, which dealt with all church works: renovation, reconstruction and construction of altars, baptismal fonts, feretories, antepedia, ciboria, canopies, banners and painting of church interiors and facades. The company’s services also included competitive prices for framing paintings.
The lithographic studio of the printer Mojżesz Rozenfeld also operated at this address (since 1888). The workshop had a prining press, it carried out multi-colored artistic and lithographic works. A stationery store operated by the printing house. Rozenfeld’s company operated until 1904, then was taken over by Izrael Koszerkiewicz.
In the interwar period there was the office of lawyer Szymon Nichtberger, the seat of the Society of Cyclists in Płock and Estera Nejman’s “Źródło bogactwa” (“Source of Wealth”) lottery.
After the death of Moryc Lewenstein, the property was inherited by his wife Chawa and children. From 1912, the owners of the property were the brothers Nachman and Rafał. In 1926, Rafał purchased a part of his property from Nachman, becoming its sole owner.
The property at 1 Kościuszki Street by the decision of the Minister of Culture and Art announced in Monitor Polski on July 31, 1920 No. 171 was included in the category of historic buildings.
Rafał Lewenstein was a well-known art lover in Płock, collector and president of the Credit Society. He was murdered by the Germans in Działdowo.
Bibliography:
G. Nowak, A. Wojciechowska, Żydowski Płock – architektoniczne wizje i realizacje, Płock 2014
J. Przedpełski, J. Stefański, Żydzi płoccy w dziejach miasta, Płock 2012
Józef Kwiatek was born on January 22, 1874 in Płock, in a large Jewish family. His father Fiszel, son of Efroim Kwiatek (1792-1875) and Sura née Kagan, traded in colonial goods. Józef’s mother was Hinda née Prussak. Józef had six siblings – brothers Symcha (born […]
In 1816, in Kutno Mordka Lindeman (Linderman) (born ca. 1791), son of the trader Berek and Bluma (daughter of Chaim), married Perel Fux (born ca. 1792), the daughter of the baker Szyja and Małka (daughter of Jonasz). In 1817 their son Chaim was born, and […]
One of the families associated with the former Szeroka Street (currently Józefa Kwiatka St.) was the Berliner family. Beniamin Berliner was born in 1829 in Płock as the son of Hersz and Maria. He was a tailor by profession (like his parents). In 1851 he married Krajndla Topaz (born in 1832), daughter of Beniamin and Jeres. Beniamin and Krajndla Berliner had 6 children: sons Szulim (born in 1857), Majer (born in 1866) and Icek Jankef (born in 1868) and daughters Symcha (born in 1861), Sura (born in 1872) and Masha ( born in 1874). The Berliners lived in a tenement house at 36 Szeroka Street, which was owned by Hersz Szlezyngier. Symcha Berliner married Abram Izaak Klejn, who came from Kalisz (ca. 1857-1887) and was the son of Lejb and Frajda. Their son Izrael was born in 1886. In the early 1890s, the Berliner family emigrated to England. After the death of Abram Izaak, Symcha married Abraham Fass, who came from Płock and was a cotton porter. The family lived in Liverpool. Symcha Berliner died in 1925. Izrael Klejn (Cyril Keene) married Miriam Blumenthal (1885-1963). He died in Reading, Berkshire, on January 4, 1942.
Photographs courtesy of Sue Easter. Thank you!
On September 19, a board exhibition entitled Józef Kwiatek and his street which the Nobiscum Foundation has realized in connection with the 145th anniversary of birth of Józef Kwiatek (1874-1910), will be opened at the P Gallery in the Płock City Hall. The exhibition was […]
The Multicultural Gostynin initiative and the Municipal Cultural Center in Gostynin invite you to this year’s European Heritage Days, which should be interesting to everyone interested in the history of the Jews who once lived in the city. We especially recommend a walk in the […]
World War II brought the extermination of the Jews of Płock. In February and March 1941, the Nazi occupants deported about 10,000 Jews from Płock and nearby towns to German concentration camps. From around 9,000 of Jewish people living in Płock before the outbreak of the war, only a few survived.
When talking about these dark times, we use numbers, often forgetting that specific people are behind them. Men, women and children.
Every now and then important, necessary and smart projects arise in the public space that motivate us to take on new challenges. Inspired by the initiative of Dariusz Popela “People, not numbers” and the project of the “Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre” Center – “Lublin. 43 000”, we will implement the project:
Remembrance. Płock 1939
The goal of the initiative by the Nobiscum Foundation will be to commemorate all Jewish citizens of Płock who perished in the Holocaust. Based on archival documents from the World War II period, we will compile information on all Jews living in Płock, together with data regarding the address of residence and date of birth, which will be available on the JewishPlock.eu website.
We hope that on March 1 next year, on the anniversary of the last deportation of Płock Jews to the camp in Działdowo, we will be able to present you the results of our archival research.
Soon we will also inform you about the next initiative of the project “Remembrance. Płock 1939”.
In 1841, property with the mortgage number 37 at Grodzka Street was purchased from Anna Kłobuszewska nee Zawidzka and Teofila Białkowska née Kłobuszewska by Samuel Majeran. In the years 1841-1842 Majeran erected a brick tenement house on the square. Since 1873, the owner of the […]
