Society of Friends

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The Society of Friends was a Jewish aid organization in Berlin from 1792 until it was banned in 1935 . Its members supported each other in cases of poverty, unemployment, illness and death.

Club history

The “Society of Friends” was founded on January 29, 1792 on the initiative of Isaac Euchel , Aaron Halle-Wolfssohn , Joseph Mendelssohn , Nathan Oppenheimer and Aron Neo . Initially, the company was an organization of enlightened bachelors who actively interfered in current political disputes, for example about the "early burial". Around 1820 it changed. It became the cultural center of the Jewish community and the most important association of Berlin Jewry , led by respected and economically successful personalities. At that time it was based on its own property in Berlin city center, Neue Friedrichstrasse  35, not far from Alexanderplatz and the Heidereutergasse synagogue .

From 1880 the association withdrew from the public and became an informal center for the executives of the Berlin-based private and joint stock banks, publishing houses, chemical, electrical and other important companies. During the Weimar Republic there was an increasing number of members without a Jewish background. On November 25, 1935, the company was banned by the National Socialists .

Members (selection)

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G

H

I.

J

K

L.

M.

N

O

P

R.

S.

T

U

V

W.

Z

literature

  • Sebastian Panwitz: The Society of Friends 1792-1935. Berlin Jews between Enlightenment and high finance. ("Haskala"; Vol. 34). Georg Olms, Hildesheim 2007, ISBN 978-3-487-13346-1 , 335 pp.
  • Sebastian Panwitz: Society of Friends , in: Encyclopaedia Judaica , Vol. 7, Second Edition, Detroit et al. 2007, pp. 560f.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Error in the life data of Pringsheim, other name bearer?