When did the Hyman brothers and the Rubinstein family emigrate from Prussia (now Poland) and why?
Immigration of the Hyman Brothers
The Hyman brothers didn't emigrate together at the same time. The first was probably the oldest brother, Hyman Wolf Hyman, though his immigration date is unknown. According to the passport applications of the other brothers, Henry Wolf Hyman arrived in the U.S. in 1857; Michael Hyman arrived in 1863; Morris Hyman arrived in 1865; and Joseph Hyman arrived 1867/1868.
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| Passport of Henry Wolf Hyman, showing he arrived in U.S. in 1857. |
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| Passport application for Michael Hyman showing an immigration year of 1863. |
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| Passport application for Morris Hyman, showing he arrived in the U.S. in 1865. |
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| First passport application for Joseph Hyman showing an immigration year of 1868. |
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| Second passport application for Joseph Hyman showing his arrival in 1867. |
Immigration of the Rubinstein Family
The Rubinstein family, consisting of father Meyer, mother Rosalia, and children Ida/Eda, Isidor, Zerline/Selena, and Joseph, arrived at the port of New York from Bremen on July 29, 1871, on the ship Donau. Their residence was shown as Berlin, though they may have reported the largest city near their hometown as was sometimes done.
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| Immigration Record for Rubinstein family in 1871. |
Prussia/Poland's Early Jewish History
In Prussian/Polish history, Jewish merchants first arrived and settled in the Silesia area of southern Poland in the early 11th century. These merchants spoke Arabic, Persian, Greek, Spanish, Frankish and Slav languages, and extended trade over great distances.
In 1264, Polish rulers employed Jews to work as coin engravers and granted them special status that ensured that they and their property were protected. They also had the freedom to conduct religious rites, free trade and moneylending. These privileges resulted in hostile reactions by the Catholic clergy and laws were passed that created segregated Jewish living areas and business restrictions. Because of the profits the ruling princes received from the economic activity of the Jews, however, these laws generally went unenforced.
By the middle of the 14th century, Jews occupied 35 Silesian towns. The main occupation of Jews in Poland at this time was moneylending and local and long distance trade between Poland and Hungary, Turkey and Italian colonies on the Black Sea.
Some Jewish merchants became rich and invested in property, often taking letters of credit against property, until riots broke out by Christian merchants in the 15th century. At that time in western Europe, epidemics of Black Death were being blamed on Jews, who were accused of poisoning wells. As a result of the riots and epidemics, migrating Jews from western Europe and from Silesia fled to northern Poland. Generally, they were welcomed, although some cities forced immigrants into separate Jewish towns. By the end of the 15th century, which is generally considered the end of the Middle Ages, 18,000 Jews lived in 85 towns in Poland and represented less than one percent of the population.
During certain periods, Prussian/Polish rulers provided protection toward Jews. They were granted the right to self-govern themselves. A Jewish city was established within a Christian city with its own religious, administrative, judicial and charitable institutions.
In the 16th and early 17th centuries, more migrating Jews arrived in Poland from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Germany, Bohemia and Hungary. By the mid-1600s, 500,000 Jews lived in Poland. Their primary sources of income were local trade and crafts, including food items, leather, clothing, and objects made of gold, pewter and glass.
Then, at the end of the 17th century, decrees were passed due to pressure from competitive burghers and jealous clergy that restricted Jewish wholesale trade. One reason prejudice arose against the Jews was because Jews had established banks and centralized credit operations in Poland that caused many debtors, both Jewish and non-Jewish, to be put in prison for nonpayment of high-interest loans when crops or businesses failed to bring in enough money to repay the loan.
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) decimated the population of Germany, destroying much of the economy and making refugees of thousands of Germans of all denominations. As a result, the Polish economy was changing. Rents on homes and businesses increased dramatically. Jews became increasingly indebted to nobles with long-term interest rates between 22% and 25% and short-term interest rates as high as 50%.
In the 1700s legislation passed in the German empire to limit the Jewish population from growing. Under these Familiants Laws, only the oldest son of a Jewish family was permitted to marry if his father had died and if the son had attended a German or Jewish-German school. Subsequent sons could only marry if the oldest brother died. In wealthy Jewish families, huge payments could be made for second and third sons to marry. Other exceptions were granted for Jews who joined certain guilds or completed military service.
Familiants Laws resulted in many Jews secretly marrying in so-called "attic weddings." Children from these unions were considered illegitimate by the authorities and had to bear their mothers' names. These mothers could be sentenced to forced labor. If discovered, fathers could be punished by flogging and expulsion. This led to large scale emigration from Central Europe. For example, many communities in Hungary were founded by younger sons from the area now known as Czechoslovakia. Formal abolition of these laws didn't take place until 1859.
Poland was divided into partitions between Austria, Russia and Prussia in 1772, 1793, and 1795. During this period, a movement existed to reform Jewish life and end special customs. Wealthy Jews in particular believed that assimilating with the Poles would bring prosperity and eliminate persecution. Assimilation was difficult for most Jews, however, because their religious schools did not help them learn the local language and master non-Jewish customs. Shopkeepers and artisans in particular chose to keep speaking Yiddish and continue to practice Orthodox Judaism.
It is estimated that there were 750,000 Jews living in Poland in 1766 and 900,000 in 1790. In 1797, Prussian Jews were divided into two groups. Jews who were wealthy and spoke German were placed in the "protected" group. The other group was merely "tolerated" and encouraged to emigrate. Poor Jews were expelled.
In 1833, a new law was passed in the area of Poznan that allowed some Jews to become Prussian citizens. Citizenship was granted based on economic, moral, and educational achievements and command of the German language. By 1846, eighty percent of the 6,748 Jews in the Poznan area (the largest Jewish community in Prussia) were still non-citizens as well as one-third of all Jews in Prussia.
Equal rights for all Jews came in 1848, although some restrictions still existed, such as prohibiting Jews from certain occupations. Jews still felt pressure to dress like their countrymen and adopt their customs and intellectual interests.
Why Did The Hymans and Rubinsteins Emigrate?
Although general equal rights for Jews had been instituted, Jews continued to be subject to anti-Semitism in Prussia/Poland. In order to keep their own culture intact and escape from prohibitions, many Jews decided to emigrate, and America was a popular destination. America was a place where Jews could enjoy religious freedom and engage in any type of business without interference.
In 1264, Polish rulers employed Jews to work as coin engravers and granted them special status that ensured that they and their property were protected. They also had the freedom to conduct religious rites, free trade and moneylending. These privileges resulted in hostile reactions by the Catholic clergy and laws were passed that created segregated Jewish living areas and business restrictions. Because of the profits the ruling princes received from the economic activity of the Jews, however, these laws generally went unenforced.
By the middle of the 14th century, Jews occupied 35 Silesian towns. The main occupation of Jews in Poland at this time was moneylending and local and long distance trade between Poland and Hungary, Turkey and Italian colonies on the Black Sea.
Some Jewish merchants became rich and invested in property, often taking letters of credit against property, until riots broke out by Christian merchants in the 15th century. At that time in western Europe, epidemics of Black Death were being blamed on Jews, who were accused of poisoning wells. As a result of the riots and epidemics, migrating Jews from western Europe and from Silesia fled to northern Poland. Generally, they were welcomed, although some cities forced immigrants into separate Jewish towns. By the end of the 15th century, which is generally considered the end of the Middle Ages, 18,000 Jews lived in 85 towns in Poland and represented less than one percent of the population.
During certain periods, Prussian/Polish rulers provided protection toward Jews. They were granted the right to self-govern themselves. A Jewish city was established within a Christian city with its own religious, administrative, judicial and charitable institutions.
In the 16th and early 17th centuries, more migrating Jews arrived in Poland from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Germany, Bohemia and Hungary. By the mid-1600s, 500,000 Jews lived in Poland. Their primary sources of income were local trade and crafts, including food items, leather, clothing, and objects made of gold, pewter and glass.
Then, at the end of the 17th century, decrees were passed due to pressure from competitive burghers and jealous clergy that restricted Jewish wholesale trade. One reason prejudice arose against the Jews was because Jews had established banks and centralized credit operations in Poland that caused many debtors, both Jewish and non-Jewish, to be put in prison for nonpayment of high-interest loans when crops or businesses failed to bring in enough money to repay the loan.
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) decimated the population of Germany, destroying much of the economy and making refugees of thousands of Germans of all denominations. As a result, the Polish economy was changing. Rents on homes and businesses increased dramatically. Jews became increasingly indebted to nobles with long-term interest rates between 22% and 25% and short-term interest rates as high as 50%.
In the 1700s legislation passed in the German empire to limit the Jewish population from growing. Under these Familiants Laws, only the oldest son of a Jewish family was permitted to marry if his father had died and if the son had attended a German or Jewish-German school. Subsequent sons could only marry if the oldest brother died. In wealthy Jewish families, huge payments could be made for second and third sons to marry. Other exceptions were granted for Jews who joined certain guilds or completed military service.
Familiants Laws resulted in many Jews secretly marrying in so-called "attic weddings." Children from these unions were considered illegitimate by the authorities and had to bear their mothers' names. These mothers could be sentenced to forced labor. If discovered, fathers could be punished by flogging and expulsion. This led to large scale emigration from Central Europe. For example, many communities in Hungary were founded by younger sons from the area now known as Czechoslovakia. Formal abolition of these laws didn't take place until 1859.
Poland was divided into partitions between Austria, Russia and Prussia in 1772, 1793, and 1795. During this period, a movement existed to reform Jewish life and end special customs. Wealthy Jews in particular believed that assimilating with the Poles would bring prosperity and eliminate persecution. Assimilation was difficult for most Jews, however, because their religious schools did not help them learn the local language and master non-Jewish customs. Shopkeepers and artisans in particular chose to keep speaking Yiddish and continue to practice Orthodox Judaism.
It is estimated that there were 750,000 Jews living in Poland in 1766 and 900,000 in 1790. In 1797, Prussian Jews were divided into two groups. Jews who were wealthy and spoke German were placed in the "protected" group. The other group was merely "tolerated" and encouraged to emigrate. Poor Jews were expelled.
In 1833, a new law was passed in the area of Poznan that allowed some Jews to become Prussian citizens. Citizenship was granted based on economic, moral, and educational achievements and command of the German language. By 1846, eighty percent of the 6,748 Jews in the Poznan area (the largest Jewish community in Prussia) were still non-citizens as well as one-third of all Jews in Prussia.
Equal rights for all Jews came in 1848, although some restrictions still existed, such as prohibiting Jews from certain occupations. Jews still felt pressure to dress like their countrymen and adopt their customs and intellectual interests.
Why Did The Hymans and Rubinsteins Emigrate?
Although general equal rights for Jews had been instituted, Jews continued to be subject to anti-Semitism in Prussia/Poland. In order to keep their own culture intact and escape from prohibitions, many Jews decided to emigrate, and America was a popular destination. America was a place where Jews could enjoy religious freedom and engage in any type of business without interference.
References:
Excerpts from: Salo Wittmayer Baron, "A Social and Religious History of the Jews," v. 16, Poland-Lithuania 1500-1650, pub. 1976 by Columbia University, posted at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/POSEN/2000-06/0960358599.
Familiants Laws, Jewish Virtual Library, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0006_0_06267.html.
Polish Jews Heritage at http://www.polishjews.org/history1.htm. Its source is History of the Jews in Poland by Ph.D. M. Rosenzweig, and this book can be searched at books.google.com.
