Hirsch Oppenheimer

Hirsch Berend Oppenheimer (born April 24, 1794 in Hamburg ; † December 16, 1870 there ) was a German merchant and founder .

Live and act

Hirsch Oppenheimer was the second of eight sons of Berend Hirsch Oppenheimer (1755-1858) and his wife Betty, née Marcus (1768-1840). His father, who was born in Hamburg, worked there as a businessman. The mother came from Rehna in Mecklenburg . The Hamburg residence of the Oppenheimer family was at 2. Marktstrasse 189. Following the example of his father, Hirsch Oppenheimer and the company H. B. Oppenheimer sold English and French haberdashery, mirrors, glass and porcelain in bulk and in detail. Two of his brothers named Leopold (1796–1880) and Amsel (1798–1885) took part in the company. A third brother named Susmann (* 1800) moved to Paris and was in contact with his brother's company in Hamburg.

The company's headquarters were initially at Alten Steinweg 47-48, then at Neuer Wall . The building there was built according to plans by Johann Hinrich Schlößer immediately after the fire in Hamburg . Since the Oppenheimer family were strictly religious, they also had a synagogue built in the house. Wilhelm Melhop mentioned the "large and elegant shop windows" in the old Hamburg style, but also the height, because of which the building was "admired".

Memorial stones Hirsch Berend Oppenheimer and his wife Hannchen , Ilandkoppel Jewish Cemetery

After a while, the Oppenheimer brothers switched from trading in goods to banking. As Gebr. Oppenheimer they offered fund and bill of exchange commission business. Hirsch Oppenheimer must have made big profits. He bought a house for his family on Harvestehuder Weg 12. In 1868 he set up the Oppenheimer Foundation "for everlasting times". The facility based on Krayenkamp was intended to provide living space to needy members of the German-Israelite community. As a condition of admission, the founder stipulated that the needy people should have practiced their faith orthodox and in accordance with the regulations “and led an impeccable life”. A synagogue also belonged to the foundation. Oppenheimer called for an orthodox teaching "without the introduction of innovations". All users of the foundation apartments had to attend the church services there. In addition, on every day on which a member of the Oppenheimer family died, a death lamp was to be lit and a kaddish prayer said.

Hirsch Oppenheimer married Hannchen Ruben from Schwerin in 1827. The couple had two daughters.

In the honorary complex in the “Grindelfriedhof” area of ​​the Ohlsdorf Jewish cemetery (Ilandkoppel), a memorial stone each commemorates Hirsch Oppenheimer and his wife Hannchen

Further development of the Oppenheimer Foundation

The foundation at Krayenkamp existed until renovation work at the beginning of the 20th century. It found a new place in the Kielerortalle in Eimsbüttel . The five-story building there contained 23 apartments with two and three rooms. The plans for the horseshoe-shaped complex built in 1907/08 came from Ernst Friedheim . In addition to the apartments, there was also a synagogue with 80 seats. This was open to all residents and neighbors. The synagogue was in the middle wing and had three floors. It had a round porch with a small apse and tall, colorful, lead-glazed windows that could be seen from the garden. There was a small round window with a Star of David over the apse.

During the time of National Socialism , the foundation became part of the Reich Association of Jews in 1942 and was named the "Jewish House". Most of the community members were subsequently deported to Auschwitz and Theresienstadt concentration camps. The building remained undamaged during the air raids on Hamburg during World War II . When the first parishioners returned to Hamburg after the end of the war, they were using the synagogue again. In 1960 a new synagogue opened on the Hohe Weide. The Jewish community then sold the building of the Oppenheimers Foundation on Kielerortallee. The new owners set up condominiums there. The apse, which can still be seen at the rear, is reminiscent of the former synagogue.

literature

• Renate Hausschild-Thiessen: Oppenheimer, Hirsch . In: Franklin Kopitzsch, Dirk Brietzke (Hrsg.): Hamburgische Biographie . tape 4 . Wallstein, Göttingen 2008, ISBN 978-3-8353-0229-7 , pp. 261-262 .