My Czernowitz Connection

Dear Group Members,

It seems the group is working exceptionally well and I am finding
fascinating the Czernowitz family info emerging into the light of day.

My Czernowitz roots are through my grandmather born Czernowitz c.1877 as
Berthe FLINKER. She had a sister Regina and some brothers who I know little
of. Her father was Jacob FLINKER (married Blinne WEINBERGER/died c.1912). He
was a Czernowitz doctor and was a common sight in his horse and carriage
visiting patients. Berthe FLINKER married Abraham BIEDER (b.Brzezany nr
Lvov). He did a term in the Austrian army and was based in Czernowitz (an
army outpost?) and met Berthe when here. They moved to Vienna where he did
law and then worked with the Austrian railways based in Vienna. However when
their only child (my father) Ludwig BIEDER (b.1910 at 13 Riedelgasse 5,
Czernowitz) was born, they returned to Czernowitz for the actual birth so Dr
Flinker could oversee this event! When the baby was 10 days old they
returned to Vienna and my father never returned to Czernowitz. In fact it
seemed he knew little about it.

There were many FLINKER cousins and Jacob had a brother also a doctor who
had many sons. My father died in 1995 here in New Zealand where he fled to
in 1938 and knew little of the fate of any members of the Czernowitz FLINKER
family. He always felt sure most did not survive the holocaust. However to
my utter astonishment on visiting the Jewish Museum in Paris web site, I
discovered they have just had a special exhibition until May this year,
paying tribute to the 'celebrated booksellers Martin and son Karl FLINKER'
(both now deceased). It says they came from Czernowitz, moved to Vienna, and
after the war to Paris where their bookshop and art gallery was a mecca for
French students of German and Austrian literature. Very sadly from New
Zealand our father never knew these cousins had survived the holocaust. I
would very much like to know if there are any descendents of Martin and Karl
FLINKER. Has anyone visited their Paris bookshop/gallery which closed I
think around 1992, I'd love to hear about them and the shop. The exhibition
can be visited at:
http://roi.orf.at/english/kultur/flinker.html

I am keen to visit Czernowitz some day. I would love to meet other
Czernowitz researchers at the conference but can't make this this year.

Warmest regards,

Jill Rothwell
Auckland, New Zealand

FLINKER, BIEDER, WEINBERGER, APFELBAUM
Czernowtiz, Brzezany, Vienna, Kossow


 


Received on 2002-06-19 06:12:36