Category Archives: Czernowitz

Czernowitz in the Year 2010 – A Prophecy by Dr. Jakob Flinker

[…] The Comet Tempel-Tuttle and the Leonid asteroid showers were visible from earth in 1866. They appeared just after writing my ‘Prophecy’ which was also the time people were fighting and dying in the Austro – Prussian war. But war sagas are not relevant to describing this city. This city is called Czernowitz and the year is 2010. What will Czernowitz look like in the next Millennium? If my views have any truth, we must move forward, not backwards and imagine that our city of the future will have water mains, good drainage, electric lighting and will look like as follows in the year 2010. Join me with my prophetic thoughts.

It is 10 May 2010 and 5 clock in the morning. The Graubart House and Beck’s Real Estates have gone. The Town Hall next to it now has an empty space on one side. It is springtime and a gorgeous fountain splashes its crystal clear water onto highly decorated metallic bowls, surrounded by beautiful fragrant gardens. Peace and tranquility prevail, the streets are much wider, the old buildings on the main square have disappeared, and well-appointed new structures fill the spaces where there were once narrow streets. Trams travel up and down these widened thoroughfares. This is a busy place, the streets are filled with people and there are many fabulous large new buildings, but I go further. In the main square, Elisabeth Square, buildings are made entirely out of glass. One of them contains a huge pool, where live fish swirl. Plantings of beautiful fragrant gardens are laid out in between. Gleaming roof tops are covered in bronze and shine Zen like in the May sunshine. Always lively is the bustle of people in our city. School children from the local school run fast because it is nearly 8 clock in the morning. This is happening in of all places, Austria! What a glorious sight! In the middle of all this, is a park, with another fountain, an example of splendid contemporary art, as well as modern houses built in modern-day designs, elegant and beautifully finished in glistening bronze. One historic monument standing silently and respectfully is the old courthouse, remembering that Law and Justice at all times should be the foundation of humanity.

For me the best part of any future construction in the next Millenium, is the Cecina Gasse which consists of a small bridge with a road reaching to the summit of Mount Cecina in the nearby Carpathians. Electrified railways go backwards and forwards carrying thousands of people. The route is only 5 kilometers long. I get into a car and within a few minutes reach the summit. Beautiful villas sit side by side, built in rustic style. An energy is found up here, fabulous restaurants and bands are playing, making everyone happy all breathing the freshest forest and mountain air, with wonderful wide vistas far into the distance. Life here is full of excitement and anticipation. Cecina now a city, is a splendid sight with its sunlit buildings and tall tower blocks. One brand new invention of the new millennium delights many admirers. There is a small cottage which has cameras and telephone devices so the inhabitants can use these between towns. People are able to see and speak to each other at the same time. I am lost in this world of the future! […]

Dr. Jakob Flinker

Courtesy: Jill Rothwell/Bieder • Read more at: Jill Rothwell’s Family Connection to Czernowitz

Bertha Fogel of Czernowitz

From the Forverts, New York, N.Y., of September 26, 1926

Courtesy: Steve Lasky • Museum of Family History

The Liberation of Bukovina – The Capture of Czernowitz (1917)

General Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli at his command post; briefing with Austrian officers at the map table [00:10]; destroyed bridges over the Pruth before Czernowitz [02:11]; Austrian troops bivouac on the banks of the Pruth [03:04]; horsepond [03:49]; Czernowitz after being taken on 3rd August 1917: burning railway station building and burning crossties [04:37]; destroyed dome of the railway station [05:50]; ruins of houses [06:23]; the fire brigade extinguishing flames [07:14]; children in the city streets [07:25]; Austrian troops march past Archduke Franz Joseph on 4th August 1917 in Czernowitz [07:42].

Source: EFG european film gateway & filmportal.de

Meyer Ebner on Leibu Levin – 1935

From Ruth Levin, an article from the “Ost-Yiddishe Zeitung”, 2.6.1935:

“…Dr. Landau introduced to the audience a young man whose name
should not be forgotten. Probably, we’ll hear from him again and again.

Levin isn’t a singer, rather he’s an artistic reader. He’s not a reader, rather
he’s an actor. As a matter of fact he’s all in one: singer, artistic reader, actor
and poet. Why also poet? He reads to us only the poems of others, does he not?
That being so, this is the secret of his art. He reveals what is hidden between the lines.
He brings the poet to completion. He draws from the poet’s soul riches the poet himself
did not know of, riches that were hidden in his sub-conscious…

Frequently the words of the text in his mouth serve solely as a stimulus that awakens –
just for a passing moment – the poetic spiritual inheritance of his own, and that has
always to be born anew, like the music.

The art of Leibu Levin needs not only to be heard, though, but also to be seen. He himself
one has to hear and see, how he breathes into the dim hall, into the pearls of strangers’
poetry, his young burning soul, the creative, sometimes ecstatic, and sometimes weeping
soul… His profound understanding drew one deeply into the fables of
Eliezer Steinbarg and the ballads of Itzik Manger.

From time to time the reader becomes singer, and only when he was seen as well as heard,
did I finally understand the meaning of the old expression “to sing and to say”
regarding troubadours and minnesingers. When his spoken word passes to song, it reminds me
of a flying ship hovering above the earth and taking off to the blue heavens…

Talent is as rare as gold. From the gold it is possible to forge a holiday crown for
priests who serve gods and it is possible to pay with it the penance for sinful impurity…

Talent can be refined to capture surpassing art, or can descend to cheap popular
entertainment. It seems to me that all in Leibu Levin aspires toward and is uplifted to the
shining heights of noble art .”

Dr. Meyer Ebner
The newspaper “Ost-Yiddishe Zeitung”, 2.6.1935

Happy Days of Youth

Czernowitz – In a garden.

Happy days of youth. Unusual “arrangement” and setting – Edy Wagner, head of the Balalaika orchestra, who died too young, top left, my husband’s mother Alma Wagner in the middle, on the right her sister Ruzia Wagner with her famous pigtails, the rest are friends. Both Alma and Ruzia, were very gifted, played the guitar and the balalaika, accompanying themselves to a multitude of Yddish songs. Alma had a beautiful voice and had had some lessons with Joseph Schmidt when he was still a cantor. Alma had a great repertoire and sang and played often for her friends. She passed on her singing gift to our daughter Nadine.

Gabriele

Bearing Witness More Than Once…

‘Flyer’ for a conference to be held in Berlin on March 14, 15 and 16, 2016.

On 16 March, Dr.Dana Mihăilescu will be presenting a paper entitled:
“Shifts in Testimony Focus Depending on Medium and Temporal Context:
On Ruth Glasberg Gold’s Holocaust Experiences in Transnistria”

[Click on image to enlarge]

You can read the entire paper to be presented at:
mihailescu

Posted for Ruth Glasberg Gold

Czernowitz – Stadt der Dichter [City of Poets] by Amy-Diana Colin & Edith Silbermann

Amy-Diana Colin’s (PhD, Yale) much-anticipated book “Czernowitz – Stadt der Dichter [City of Poets]”, the “History of a Jewish Family from Bukovina (1900-1948)” is now at the bookseller’s!

What a literary delectation, something for winter’s eve, but not only! From the blurb we learn: “The report of an exceptional contemporary witness: Edith Silbermann, nee Horowitz, from Czernowitz (Bukovina), actress, reciter, translator, Germanist, publicist, mediator between German and Jewish cultural traditions, narrates her turbulent family history and reports on her youth in Czernowitz before and during WW2. One chapter of this book is dedicated to Paul Antschel (Celan), Edith Silbermann’s friend from the early Czernowitz years until his death. It was for both, Paul and Edith, the first love of their youth. […]”

It is not just a literary delectation, it’s also a listening pleasure, since this precious book comes with two audio CDs including recordings from Edith Silbermann’s sophisticated recitation program. Read, listen and enjoy! It’s a special publication for Czernowitz lovers!

J.N.A.V. Hasmonaea, Czernowitz in 1935

Courtesy: Hedwig Brenner

I found in my photo/archive a picture of an “Davidea, and Hasmonea ” party in Czernowitz from year 1935. May be some list members will findtheir grandmothers or grandfathers on it…in the first row, sitting I from left is Burschi Abeles, he died 2 years ago in Duesseldorf, the other 2, O do not remember..row 2: Lotte Hirsch/Gottfrie, mother of Marianne, may be Drimmer and Langhaus/Brenner. , Erna Grauthammer/Fluessig,Tussia Baltinester,Herbert Gabor, the dancing teacher,Ms. Boris, , Lulu Hornsteinn, Kaethe Krauthammer/Zallik, my classmate for 8 years, , living in T.A. and many others, ASidi Kassner, Hanny Beiser, Resi Gottesmann , Ferry Kardos, Jili Tsimand, and the young Paul Celan, a small boy in the 4.row, the only boy with a “Schlips”
Best regards
Hedwwig