Marle Stern Adler, 6 September 1812 – 17 September 1897

Marle Stern is the 5th daughter, and 7th and youngest child of Giedel Rothschild and Kain Heinemann-Stern, and the granddaughter of Salomon Abraham Rothschild. Most of the information for Marle comes from the book by Karl E. Demandt “Bevölkerungs- und Sozialgeschichte der jüdischen Gemeinde Niedenstein 1653 – 1866”. When I finished the previous post, I was looking ahead in the book, and was stunned at the amount of information that’s available for Marle. I don’t mean for Marle’s husband, I mean for Marle herself. So let’s see what we can find out!

As mentioned above, Marle, sometimes written as Merle or Merla or Mehrle, was born 6 September 1812 in Niedenstein. In the Civil register of 1812, she is listed as the daughter of the tradesman Kain Heinemann-Stern of Mittelstraße 46 and his wife Giddel nee Abraham. According to Marle’s death entry, she was the daughter of Kain Heinemann-Stern and Giedel nee Rothschild. Ahh, Giedel; you do make things interesting.

Marle married Süßmann Adler on 15 Nov 1837. Süßmann was also from Niedenstein. He was born 2 April 1810, son of Moses Süßmann and Beile nee Heinemann. Marle and Süßmann were the parents of 9 children. (1) Moses Adler was born 19 September 1838. He married his cousin Sara Stern, daughter of Callmann Stern and Madchen Wertheim. (2) Kallmann was born in 1839. In 1858, he emigrated to America, and in 1911 he was living in Baltimore, Maryland. (3) Betti, born 1841. She married Nathan Speyer in 1872, and died in Fritzlar in 1911. (4) Salomon, born 1843. He married Rechel Hahn, who died in 1885, and he died in 1908. (5) Michel, born 1846. The information for him is pretty interesting. “He comes home from school on 28 April 1860, whereupon his mother is invited to the mayor’s office and encouraged to let him learn a business. They said that since he was still stupid, and also very young, he should stay at home for another six months so that he could learn more and become stronger; then he should take up the profession of carpenter.” Not sure yet if he became a carpenter, but he followed his brother Kallmann to Baltimore, and died there before 1911. (6) Sara, born 1848. She married Simon Goldstein of Felsberg on 24 April 1876. (7) Herrmann, born 1850. Like Michel and Kallmann, he also went to Baltimore. (8) Geldchen, born 8 July 1852. She was known as Karoline, and married Jonas Löwenstein on 13 Aug 1879. (9) Kaim (Heinemann), born about 1855. He also went to Baltimore (I’m wondering if the brothers all went together) and was known as Henry Adler.

In 1830, Süßmann and his brother Kallmann were subject to a council tax of 10 Reichsthaler. In 1835, Süßmann paid in excess off 11 Reichsthaler in citizen’s admission money for a leather fire bucket and 3 grafted fruit trees. In 1837, Süßmann was taxed in the 15th class in the amount of 7 thaler; in 1853/54 he was taxed in the 2nd class of middle-taxed traders, and in the 1st class of butchers, the highest taxed of the business taxpayer.

Süßmann died before 5 June 1855. In 1858, his widow was taxed in the 11th class at the amount of 4 Thalers, and in 1861 in the 13th class at the amount of 5 Reichsthalers. In 1858, with the help of her son Moses, Marle continued the business of her deceased husband: wholesale cattle trade. The footnote, which has the reference of “Aust. mit Randverfüngung StA. Marburg, Best. 180 Fritzlar in Nr. 74”, states the following: Michele submits a corresponding request to District Administrator Weber in Fritzlar in 1858 Oct. 14, whereupon he declares that no special permit is required for the wholesale cattle trade, but warns her not to conduct this cattle trade as an emergency trade and says, “It would also be better if she dedicates her son Moses to a trade rather than raising him for the cattle trade. “ In 1858, Moses would have been 20.

I am in awe of brave, intrepid women, especially those who are widowed young and have small children, as Marle did. As my own mother did.

At the bottom of the entry for Marle and Süßmann, it indicates there are some addendums, which are below.

Addendum 7: 1858 Oct. 14. Request from Merle Adler, widow of the trader Sussmann Ader, for approval of her wholesale cattle trade because she has to support a family of 9 children and has all legal requirements for this trade.

Addendum 8: January 5, 1872. Testament of Merla Adler née Stern, widow of Süßmann Adler. Mehrle Adler née Stern, widow of the merchant Sussmann Adler of Niedenstein, draws up her will and designates all of her children: Moses, Calmann, Betti, Salomon, Michel, Sarchen, Hermann, Julchen and Heinemann as their heirs.
Betti, married to the trader Nathan Speyer II of Züschen, received 700 thalers and a trousseau worth 300 thalers when they married. Since, according to the inventory of June 5, 1855, from her father’s property only 358 Tl. And 2 2/9 Sgr. are entitled, she should receive the additional amount from the testator’s assets.
By taking over the parental real estate and transferring some outstanding debts, Moses has already received his paternal and maternal inheritance.
When they emigrated to North America, Calmann, Michel, Hermann and Heinemann already received a large part of their future fortune, and Sarchen has already been partially compensated for by various donations. All these five children named receive another 300 thaler from the estate. The other two children, Julchen and Salomon, are to share the rest of the property, with Julchen inheriting all the clothes, shirts and all linen from the testator in advance.

The “Julchen” referred to above must be Geldchen.

Marle passed away 14 September 1897 in Niedenstein at the age of 85. She had provided for all her young children, had seen them to adulthood, and had provided generously for them while still living. The death entry was reported and witnessed by her son Solomon Adler.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about this family as much as I have, and I hope it helps you in your research. Now that we’re done with the family of Giedel Rothschild and Kain-Heinemann Stern, we’re going to move on to the children of Ascher Rothschild and his two wives: Sprinza and Blümchen Sternberg. There are 12 of them total, and of all the family members I’ve researched so far, I know this group the best, because they were my main focus for a long time. Will I learn new things in the process? I certainly hope so!

Until next time, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay safe.