Mavro Frankfurter Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Rabbi
Mavro Frankfurter
Denomination:Orthodox Judaism
Synagogue:Vinkovci Synagogue
Synagogueposition:Rabbi
Organisation:Vinkovci Gymnasium
Organisationposition:Judaism teacher
Birth Date:1875 5, df=yes
Birth Place:Holešov, Margraviate of Moravia, Austria-Hungary
Death Place:Jasenovac, Independent State of Croatia
Nationality: Croatia
Residence:Vinkovci
Parents:David and Katerina Frankfurter
Spouse:Rebekka-Rivka Figel
Children:3, including David

Mavro "Moše" Frankfurter (1875–1942) was a Croatian rabbi from Vinkovci who was murdered during the Holocaust at the Jasenovac concentration camp.

Moshe (Moritz) Frankfurter was born in Holešov, Czech Republic (then part of Austria-Hungary) on 15 May 1875 to David and Katerina Frankfurter. He was married to Rebekka-Rivka Figel, with whom he had three children: daughter Ruth and two sons, David and Alfons (later Avraham). Frankfurter family lived in Daruvar where Frankfurter was a rabbi. On the eve of World War I he moved with his family to Vinkovci where he was appointed as rabbi, and later in 1914 as Chief rabbi. Frankfurter was fluent in German, Polish, Hebrew and Croatian. In the Frankfurter household German and Hebrew was spoken. During the construction of Nova ulica (New street) in Vinkovci, Frankfurter built a family mansion (now Juraj Dalmatinac Street and Vladimir Nazor Street). From 1914 to 1941, in addition to the regular activities at the Jewish community of Vinkovci and Vinkovci Synagogue, Frankfurter worked as a Judaism teacher at the Vinkovci Gymnasium. In 1936 his son David assassinated Swiss branch leader of the German NSDAP Wilhelm Gustloff in Davos, Switzerland. Frankfurter's hair turned grey overnight when he heard of the assassination. He visited his son in prison and asked him "... who actually needed this?"[1] During the World War II and the Nazi occupation of Vinkovci in 1941, Frankfurter was made to stand on a table while the German soldiers spat in his face, pulled out the hair from his long beard, and struck him with their rifle butts. Frankfurter and his wife were murdered in 1942 by the Ustashas at the Jasenovac concentration camp.[2] [3]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. David Frankfurter . 2013-02-05 . Miljenko Hajdarović . Hrvatski Povijesni Portal . 1846-4432 . hr . Josip . Šarčević . 2007-10-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130225101215/http://povijest.net/v5/zivotpis/hr-zivotopisi/2007/david-frankfurter/ . 2013-02-25 .
  2. News: Mavro Frankfurter. Yad Vashem. Pages of testimony by Avraham Frankfurter (son). 2013-02-05.
  3. News: Moshe Frankfurter. Yad Vashem. Pages of testimony by David Frankfurter (son). 2013-02-05.