Simon Blad

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simon Blad
relief by August Vogel

Simon Blad (born March 18, 1818 in Büdesheim near Bingen ; † February 16, 1896 in Berlin ) made a considerable fortune as a businessman in Berlin, which he, unmarried, each time he died with "approximately 300,000  M " Cities of Bingen and Mainz "to support young, up-and-coming talents from people of both sexes in the fields of art, science and handicrafts" and with "approx. 600,000 M ”left behind by the city of Berlin. The total of around 1,200,000 marks corresponds to today's purchasing power of around 8,671,000 euros.

Dispute over acceptance of inheritance

Tomb in the Berlin cemetery Friedrichsfelde
Tomb (close-up)

The obligation imposed on Berlin with the donation, "to have a worthy monument erected on the burial site, in ore depicting the deceased in full figure", however, led to anti-Semitic protests, since Blad, as the papers of the German Social Party wrote, "one nothing led less than a mere way of life ”. The point of view of the magistrate

“Even if the testator has come into conflict with the state authority, it is neither a matter of inclinations nor an honorable offense on the part of the deceased. [...] The testator was also an honorary citizen of Kissingen ”.

It should be countered that Blad "was punished twice - with 6 weeks' imprisonment and 500 marks". In the judgment of the criminal chamber of the District Court of Berlin I on November 3, 1887, the point was that he dismissed his maid Clara "as he used to do this" shortly before giving birth, later no longer paid alimony and Clara was taken into custody I have not issued my passbook.

In 1896, the present even brought an article by Simon Blad and the art of “Genre painter August H. Plinte (Berlin)” about the “brave fellow citizen Simon Blad, who seduced foolish provincial maids in his service en masse, at the crucial hour plunged into the misery of prostitution and as a precaution also robbed of their little possessions. "

Georg Hirths Jugend - Münchner Illustrierte Wochenschrift für Kunst und Leben printed on June 13, 1896 together with a caricature by Arpad Schmidhammer that with » Dr. Thoma ”signed the poem Das Simon Blad-Denkmal in Berlin , in which a father instructs his son in a solemn ode tone of Alkaic stanzas about“ the monument to shame ”, the“ sight ”of which the son“ reddened his forehead in shame ”and“ angry disgust [...] will excite ”; "A cheeky faun // the highest honor bought with disdainful money, [...] greedy greed a permanent 'sign."

Judgment on Blads from a Jewish perspective

In the meantime, even Jews hardly had anything friendly to say about Blad, as the following passage from the story Das Sefermahl by Arthur Kahn (1851–1928) describes the events of 1865 and originated in 1909:

“At that time there were two men from the village who were talked about a lot. One was called Simon Blad, who one day the newspapers all over Germany was talking about; but not in a laudable sense. Simon Blad, a fellow student of Salomon Marx's age and school, used his not inconsiderable skills to work his way up as a financial genius. The son of a poor but thoroughly honest and somewhat limited man of insignificant origin. Simon Blad had boundless ambitions, but without a higher educational instinct. He made a considerable fortune, of which he did not give the old father or his anemic sister even the slightest during their lifetime. Imbued with the ambition of a human worthless parvenu , he only strove to perpetuate himself in the most sensational way possible, even to make himself immortal. It never occurred to the vain, narrow-minded nerd, to secure the gratitude of the world and posterity by a generous act corresponding to his great fortune. And yet after his death he wished to live on in the mouths of posterity through a memorial that should be eye-catching.

He actually succeeded in this pursuit in that Simon Blad will remain immortal ridiculous for all times when monuments will have a history. His 'monument', which one city had erected for him in a hidden corner in order to inherit his millions, is about one and a half meters high, including the base - a mockery of inflated, deserving folly. When he died in 1882, his necrologists formed a collection of ridiculous pamphlets and scathing criticisms of the kind that will hardly be written a second time after the death of such a poor wretch. In addition, many newspapers remembered Simon Blad, who during his lifetime, even if unbaptized, had contemptuously turned away from his Judaism, remembered the dead 'Jew' to whom they could say many things.

Two greater opposites may never have been born in one village and may never have sat together on the same school desk as 'Binjomins Simon' and 'Falks Salomon'. "

The tomb

The authorities did not comply with Blad's "pathological desire for monuments, which arose from an unhealthy ambition, of which Arthur Kahn then writes, but instead realized the tomb erected for Blad in the Friedrichsfelde Central Cemetery , as in the new buildings published by Ludwig Hoffmann of the city of Berlin means that it "wishes to limit its execution [...] to the extent that the wording of the will allowance." The gravestone made of shell limestone by Hoffmann, in which the urn with the ashes of the deceased was inserted, contains with an hourglass and the year 1903 on top and laurel threads on both sides with a bronze relief by August Vogel . This shows Simon Blad "in full figure", but only small in size based on Renaissance tombs in a frame of acanthus leaves with children's or angel's head medallions in the corners. The grave is located in Mittelweg, G4, and is included in the Berlin list of monuments .

More on Blad's biography

Otherwise little is known about Blade's life and the source of his wealth. From October 6th to 7th, 1860, he stayed in the newly opened Hotel Leuthäuser in Coburg as “S. Blad, merchant a. Rheims ". In the Kissinger health resort list of July 19, 1861, he is recorded as "Mr. S. Blad, businessman from Büdesheim". Then you can find him in Berlin, for the first time in the address book to the year 1862 as “businessman, general agent for Germany of the champagne dealership Heidsieck and Comp. in Rheims, Unter den Linden 52. ”1864, it turns into“ Merchant, wine wholesaler, Unter den Linden 52. Comptoir and warehouse: Wilhelmstr. 70 “; in addition, Blad is now noted as the owner of the house at Dorotheenstrasse 37. In 1866 he was listed in the address book as a “merchant and wine wholesaler, Louisenstr. 20. Business local: Unter den Linden 2. v. April 1st Unter den Linden 10 ”and 1867 as“ Merchant and Wine Merchant, Louisenstr. 20 ”as well as the owner of this house. For August 3, 1869, the health resort list of Kissingen noted the arrival of the 51-year-old “S. Blad, Rentier from Berlin ”in the Hotel Russischer Hof . In contrast, the Berlin address book continues to list him as “Kaufmann, Louisenstr. 20 ", in the edition for the year 1873 then with the addition" Apartment: Schiffbauerdamm 33 "and that this house is his property. He lived there for the rest of his life. It was not until 1877 that he was also referred to as reindeer in the Berlin address book . In 1885 he became a member of the Society for Geography in Berlin and belonged to it until his death.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Grand Ducal Hessian Government Gazette , 1896, p. 165, 167 books.google
  2. ^ Administrative report of the Berlin magistrate. No. 40 Foundation Deputation. August 20, 1896. p. 66 books.google
  3. ^ A b c Ludwig Hoffmann: New buildings in the city of Berlin. Overall views and details according to the original drawings of the facades and interiors, as well as nature photographs of the most remarkable parts of the urban buildings erected in Berlin since 1897 , vol. V, Verlag Bruno Hessling Berlin 1907, p. XI architekturmuseum.ub.tu- berlin.de
  4. ↑ Blad became an honorary citizen of Bad Kissingen in 1888, at the age of 70, after having taken a cure there since 1848 with two interruptions every year.
  5. ^ Deutsch-Soziale Blätter , Volume 11, 1896, p. 59 books.google
  6. ^ The Present, Volume 49 (Issues 1–26), p. 253 books.google
  7. ↑ Jugend vol. 1, issue 24, page 390, facsimile online
  8. ↑ The Israelite. A central organ for Orthodox Judaism . Born 1938, Issue 13–24 (Feuilleton supplement) sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de . The passage reproduced here in issue 20 (feuilleton supplement)
  9. ↑ Entry in the Berlin State Monument List
  10. ^ Government and Intelligence Gazette for the Duchy of Coburg , October 9, 1860, Sp. 1632 books.google
  11. ^ Supplement to the district gazette of Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg No. 168 of July 27, 1861, col. 2364 no. 2204 books.google
  12. ↑ Blad, S. In: Allgemeiner Wohnungs-Anzeiger together with address and business manual for Berlin , 1862, part 1, p. 40.
  13. ↑ Blad, S. In: Allgemeiner Wohnungs-Anzeiger together with address and business manual for Berlin , 1864, part 1, p. 43.
  14. ↑ Dorotheenstrasse 37 . In: Allgemeiner Wohnungs-Anzeiger together with address and business manual for Berlin , 1864, part 2, p. 2.
  15. ↑ Blad, S. In: Allgemeiner Wohnungs-Anzeiger together with address and business manual for Berlin , 1866, part 1, p. 46.
  16. ^ Blad, S. In: Allgemeiner Wohnungs-Anzeiger together with address and business manual for Berlin , 1867, part 1, p. 47. Owner of the house Dorotheenstr. 37 was now a Dr. Schmidt: Dorotheenstr. 37 . In: Allgemeiner Wohnungs-Anzeiger together with address and business manual for Berlin , 1867, part 2, p. 39.
  17. ^ Kurliste von Kissingen No. 151/1869 books.google
  18. ^ Blad, S. In: Berliner Adreßbuch , 1873, part 1, p. 65.
  19. ↑ Schiffbauerdamm 33 . In: Berliner Adreßbuch , 1873, part 2, p. 307.
  20. ↑ Blad, S. In: Berliner Adreßbuch , 1877, part 1, p. 62.
  21. ^ Negotiations of the Society for Geography in Berlin , Volume 23, 1896, p. 3 books.google
personal data
SURNAME Blad, Simon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German businessman
DATE OF BIRTH March 18, 1818
PLACE OF BIRTH Büdesheim near Bingen
DATE OF DEATH February 16, 1896
Place of death Berlin