Calman Heinemann Stern, About 1810 – 11 December 1894

Calman Heinemann Stern, also known as Kallmann Stern, was the 6th child and 2nd son of Giedel Rothschild and Kain Heinemann-Stern, and the grandson of Salomon Abraham Rothschild.

Most of the information we have about Calman comes from the book by Karl E. Demandt entitled “Bevölkerungs- und Sozialgeschichte der jüdischen Gemeinde Niedenstein 1653 – 1866.”

Calman was born in October 1810 in Niedenstein. He married Madchen (Mudchen) Wertheim on 21 August 1843. She was the daughter of Jakob Wertheim and Merle Gumpert. Madchen was born January of 1817 and died 12 July 1881. Her death entry lists her age at time of death as 65, but if she was born in 1817, she’d have been 64.

Calman and Madchen were the parents of five children: Jacob (1844 – ?); Sara (1846 – ?); Isaac (1849 – ?); Kain (1852 – 1878); and Merle (1857 – 1898).

The aforementioned book has this to say about Calman: “Kallmann Stern and his wife Mudchen, née Wertheim, had the above-mentioned 5 children in 1858. He was taxed at 8 thalers in the 16th grade. He was a shoemaker, but had also borrowed on pledges and is supposed to use fabric (yardage) for peddling in neighboring villages, which is why he was warned by the Mayor on July 19, 1858. On February 10, 1859, because of his son Jacob, who was about 14 years old, the mayor asked Kallman to let him (Jacob) learn a business. The father says that his son should go to school until Easter and then learn a business. On June 27, 1859, Kallman was asked to bring Jacob into business within 8 days or to send him to the district office in Fritzlar for a warning. This warning was repeated on July 7th by the mayor, who reported to the county office on October 25th that Jacob was still being kept at home. After further back-and-forth negotiations, the father announced on Feb. 15, 1860 that Jacob was to do his apprenticeship in Grebenstein after Easter, but on May 7, 1860 he was apprenticed to Kaufmann Schloß in Witzenhausen. In 1858, Kallman Stern was elected the community’s calculator (treasurer?) and in 1861, as a shoemaker and capitalist of the 17th grade, taxed at 9 thaler.“

I love all the depth and history that comes from various resources, especially civic records. It’s interesting to me that he seemed reluctant to allow his oldest son to be apprenticed anywhere. It’s also interesting to me that the Mayor seemed so intent on having Jacob apprenticed just about anywhere. Wonder what the issue was.

Calman passed away 11 December 1894 in Niedenstein. He outlived both his parents, his wife, one son, and his sisters Beile and Röschen. The witness for his death entry was his son-in-law, Karlmann Plaut, who was married to Calman’s youngest daughter Merle. (Death entry is from the “Persosnenstandsregister Sterberegister; Bestand 920; Laufende Nummer: 5714”, found at Ancestry.com.)

Next up, we’ll learn about the youngest daughter in the family, Marle STERN Adler. Until then, stay happy, and healthy, and safe.