Mathilde Rothschild and Minna Minkel Mückel Rothschild

As with most of my posts so far, unless otherwise noted, the source for the information found here is the Synagogue Vöhl website, which has been an absolute wellspring of information, to be sure. HUGE shoutout to the Förderkreis Synagoge in Vöhl who have worked tirelessly for 21 years to provide this information, restore the synagogue, promote the so very important mindset of “Never Forget”, and continue to do amazing work!

Mathilde Rothschild is the 3rd child and 2nd daughter of Selig Salomo Rothschild and Ranchen Regine Rubino Rothschild, grandchild of Salomon Abraham Rothschild. She was born around 1801 or 1802, presumably in Vöhl, since that’s where the rest of her siblings were born. That’s it. That’s all we know about Mathilde. Did she die young? Did she marry and move away? We simply don’t know. There’s always the hope that at some point in the future we’ll find out more about her. Until then, she is a mystery.

About her sister Minna, we know a bit more. Her parents named her Minna, but she appears as Minkel or Mückel in various documents, namely the death records of her children. Everyone had their name and then the variations of their names. Minna’s variations make me giggle. She was born in Vöhl in June of 1803.

Sometime before 1830, she married Simon Kugelmann. Simon was born about 1797 in Vöhl and was the son of Isaak Kugelmann (1775 – 1834) and Sara Katz (1780 – ?). Minna and Simon welcomed their first child, Sara sometime in 1830 in Vöhl. In fact, all of their children were born there. Sara married Meier Gutheim and they were the parents of one child, Selig Gutheim. Salomon Kugelmann was born on 23 December 1831. Next was Moritz Moses Kugelmann, born on 29 June 1834. He married Johanette Meierhof, and they were the parents of Isaac, Bertha, Charles, Mark, Samuel, and Emil. Berta Kugelmann was born sometime in 1843. She married Jacob Kaufmann, and they were the parents of Siegfried, Leo and Isidor. Isaak Kugelmann was born on 27 July 1844. He married Sarah Brandenstein, and they were the parents of Recha, Siegfried, Antonie, Max, and Franziska. Minna and Simon’s youngest child, Rickchen Kugelmann, was born about 1853. She married Zadok Stern, and they were the parents of Paula, Selma, and Klara. Given the gap between Isaak and Rickchen, I have to wonder if there were other children who didn’t survive, still births, or miscarriages. It could also have simply been her age. She was 41 when Isaak was born and 50 when Rickchen was born.

Simon and Minna lived in what was then House Number 78, and which is now Kirchweg 4. The house is still standing, in good repair, and inhabited. As the street name suggests, it is on the street that leads up to the Martinskirche, which can be seen, I’m sure, from the back window of the house. This photo came from the Synagogue Vöhl website.

Simon Kugelmann passed away sometime in or before 1878. According to the Vöhler records of 1878, Minna, as Simon Kugelmann’s widow, owned property in Marienhagen and owed 2,06 Marks in property taxes. From 1883 – 1889, Minna’s profession was in the flour trade. The size of her business was very small, and her monthly tax rate was initially listed as 50 pfennigs. This was then crossed out and replaced with 25 pfennigs.

In 1890, Minna Kugelmann was fined 1 Mark for “violating the police regulations.” Sadly, the records don’t elaborate. Wonder what she did!

Minna passed away 20 December 1892 in Vöhl. She was 88 or 89 years old. In her will, she stipulated that her son Isaak Kugelmann, or his widow, should have lifelong residence of the house.

Join me next time to learn about another of Selig and Ranchen’s children, Ruben Rothschild.