Salomon Benjamin Latz: The Father of the Father of the Mother of the Mother of the Mother of the Mother of Doron Zeilberger

Last Update: Dec. 31, 2009 (thanks to Barbara Ford and Daniel Kester)

Previous Update: Nov. 14, 2002 (thanks to Tom Furstenberg(jr) and Tom Furstenberg(sr) ; Nov. 27, 2002 (thanks to Tom Furstenberg(sr) ; Nov. 27, 2007 (thanks to my fifth-cousin Stephen Falk). Dec. 30, 2007 (thanks [again] to my fifth-cousin Stephen Falk).

Salomon Benjamin Latz (1749- Jan. 17, 1829) [look at a a digital photo of his portrait (courtesy of Tom(sr) and Tom(jr) Furstenberg).]

was a "wealthy and pious" Jew, who lived in the city of Posen, Prussia (now Poznan, Poland), capital of the Grand Duchy of Posen (now the district of Poznan).

Before he died, in 1829, he consulted the Posen Rabbi, Akiva Eger (the great "Gaon of Posen", one of the greatest Talmudic scholars of the 19th century), how to use his money. Eger advised him to contribute towards a hospital with a "beth midrash" attached. Latz followed this advice, and left, in his will, 6000 thalers. Because of Latz's high regard to Rabbi Eger, and possibly low regard for the lay leaders of the Posen Jewish community, he stipulated that Eger should have full control over running the hospital, and that the Jews of the City of Posen should not have preference over Jews from the neighboring communities as regards admission.

When Latz died in 1829, the hospital, and Beth-Midrash, were built, and Eger followed religiously Latz's will. Of course, the machers of the Posen Jewish community wanted to take over, but Eger refused, citing Latz's will. The leaders then complained to the German authorities, who intervened, but Eger did not give up. According to Sinason's biography of Eger, `The Gaon of Posen', this shows Eger's great integrity and courage.

Latz's hospital was probably very instrumental in combating the 1831 Cholera epidemic in Posen, for which Eger got a letter of commendation from the Kaiser.

The following is an excerpt from Heppner and Herzberg's book about Posen Jews, p. 819: ``In 1829, Salomon Benjamin Latz raised 6000 Thalers for the construction of a hospital with a Beth-Midrash''.

Added Nov. 14, 2002: Tom Furstenberg (jr), in addition to sending me the photo of the portrait, also kindly sent me, and gave me permission to post here, the following pictures:

Closeup of Salomon Benjamin Latz
Salomon Benjamin Latz name-plate
Portrait of David Latz (Salomon Benjamin's grandson, brother of my GGGrandmother Bertha Latz Moritz)
David Latz name-plate
S.B. Latz's Tobacco box
Close-up of Salomon Benjamin Latz's Tobacco box

He probably had numerous children. I know of only three

Samuel Salomon Latz (1775- Jan. 17, 1829), My GGGGrandfather first husband of my GGGGrandmother, Pauline Latz Phillip (see http://www.math.rutgers.edu/~zeilberg/family/madamep.html for their descendants).
Braenchen Latz ZUELZ, (?-1862), who was married to Nebenrabbiner Lazarus ZUELZ (?- before 1834). She is listed in Edward David Luft's directory of naturalized Jews of Posen (1834) as:
Posen Zilz, Wtw. Brainchern Lazarus, Kaufmannswittwe, 6-7-1834
(which means that she was already a widow in 1834, and her "occupation" was a merchant's widow).
Stephen Falk, her great-great-great-grandson (and hence my fifth-cousin) scanned her death certificate and also an 1861 letter from her son David ZILTZ regarding her will. In the letter, Braenchen is referred to as "geb. Salomon LATZ". In the death certificate, there is reference to her late husband . I thank Stephen for permission to post them here.
[The original will and the related documents are in the Panstwowe Archiwum w Poznaniu (the Historical Archives of Poznan).]
Lazarus and Braenchen Ziltz (also spelled Zuelz) had (at least) four children:
- Rosalie Zuelz Freund (Stephen Falk's ggGrandmother). See Stephen Falk's message about Rosalie's descendants
- David, who apparently only had one daughter who was likely never married.
- Eva, who married a BERLINER, and who apparently lived in Breslau .
- Ernestine, who married a LOEWENSTEIN and they were definitely in Breslau in the 1840s
Henriette Latz Witkowski (1784-1847) ("Jette" or "Gittel"). Henriette Witkowski (b. Latz) was married to Markus Witkowski (1773- Aug. 29, 1831). (Here is their picture). Hence, in 1834, when some of the Jews of the district of Posen were allowed to take (partial) Posen citizenships, she is listed in the list of naturalized Jews (compiled by Edward David Lutz ("Brown Studies on Jews and their societies IV)", Scholars Press, Atlanta, GA, 1987), she is listed as follows (p. 94, but spelled Wittkowski, with 2 t's)
74 Posen Wittkowski, Wittwe Jette Kaufmannsfrau 8-9-1834
(wittwe (today spelled witwe) means widow, Kafmannsfrau means "merchant's wife"). Henriette b. Latz Witkowski and Markus Witkowski had the following children
- Markus Witkowski (Oct. 16, 1801- Aug. 2, 1862) who was married to Gute Zippert (Dec. 13, 1803- Dec. 31, 1854). (Here is their picture). Markus Witkowski and Gute (b. Zippert) Witkowski had the following children:
  - Bertha Witkowski (Aug. 13, 1823- Feb. 1, 1892), who married the first-cousin of her father, David Latz, son of Samuel Salomon Latz and Pauline Kaul Latz Phillip (see
    http://www.math.rutgers.edu/~zeilberg/family/madamep.html
    for their descendants.
  - Adolf Witkowski (?-?) who was married to Flora Jacobssohn (?-?), who had two sons and three daughters.
  - Amalie Witkowski (?-?) who was married to Jacob Rosendorn (?-?), and who had one son and three daughters.
  - Johanna Witkowski (?-?) who was married to Leopold Krakau (?-?), and who had one son and one daughter.
  - Helene Witkowski (?-?) who was married twice. First to Louis Czarnikow (?-?), with whom she had four sons, and then to Siegfried Gerber.
  - Sophie Witkowski (?-?), who was married to Louis London (?-?), and who had two sons and two daughters.
  - Isaak Witkowski (1833-1875) who was married to Caecilie Seligsohn (1846-1914). (Here is their picture). They had four sons.
  - Isidor Witkowski (?-?) who was married to Henriette Witkowski (possibly a relative) (?-?), who had one son and three daughters,
  - Auguste Witkowski (1836-?) who was married to Moritz Birnbaum (?-?), who had three sons and one daughter.
  - Salomon Witkowski (?-?) who was married to Anna Zelinski (?-?) who had four sons and one daughter.
  - Caecilia Witkowski (?-?), who was married to Josef Galewski (?-?), and who had two sons and one daughter.
- Benjamin Witkowski (?-?), who was born to Jeanette Katt (?-?) who had a son and a daughter.
- Ernestine Witkowski Noah (?-?), who was married to Wolff Noah (?-?), who had four sons and four daughters.

Added Dec. 30. 2007: It is very possible (but not yet proved) that Salomon Benjamin Latz had a brother, three of whose children emigrated to the United States, and established the following American Latz Family Tree , kindly brought to my attention by Stephen Latz.

Added June 5, 2009: There are lots Witkowskis in Daniel Kester's Witowski tree .

Ancestors of Doron Zeilberger

Doron Zeilberger's Family

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