The Landau family of Częstochowa

Elizabeth Fiszer

My great-grandparents' surnames, just like other Jewish surnames, derive from the locations or

regions where my ancestors lived. Landau was a tiny town in Bawaria, in south-east Germany.

My greay-grandfather, Dawid Hirsh Zwi Landau, was born in Przyrów and lived there all his life. His wife, Dobra Jentel Krymołowska, came from Łódź.

The family led very religious life. They had a cutlery factory.

In 1920's they gradually left Przyrów for Częstochowa, to where they also moved the factory. The firstborn son, Jakow Shimon, ws

already hepling his father to run and develop the business. After the death of his father, the

responsibility of running the whole factory felt to him.

The second son was Pinhas, marriaged with Gela Fiszman. He left for Częstochowa, in order to

ascertain the possibility of building a factory there. The lived ina tenement on Krakowska Street,

where Pinhas built a factory.

The whole family were able to live there.

Krakowska Street nowadays

The home possessed warm atmosphere. Grandma Gela had problems with her health and

my grandparents would travel to Karlovy Vary. Grandma went there for her health, but grandpa

visited industrial plants. He ordered machines and imported them onto Poland to his factory and to

the BRA-LAND factory, where he was a shareholder.

In 1942, the Gestapo took the whole family – some to be shot and the rest to camps. Szaja and Ester, the Pinhas' children, despite being tragically

weak, survived. Szaja managed to get to Palestine and Ester was hiding for the duration of

the War in the suburbs of Częstochowa.

Dobra and Dawid Hirsh's middle daughterwas Tuba Landau. She was expceptionally talented,

but she didn't complete her studies.

During the War, the entire family perished – Tabua, her husband and both sons.

The youngest of Dobra and Dawid Landau's childer was Hil. He began to work in the family business producing cutlery and padlocks. The

factory had an attic and a huge chimney which, during the War, served as a hiding place for many

people.

Hil's youngest sister, Bronia Landau with her husband was active in family life. She began

working in the family business. At the beginning of the World War II, when Germans threw Jews out

of their homes, a signficant part of the family came to Częstochowa and suoght shelter in the

home of Bronia and her husband.

Bronia survived the War, cared by a Polish family. She returned to Chęstochowa and tried to work in

a factory. Troubled by the Finance Department, she cound not see any possibility for the running

of a factory and letf overseas.

Bronia's husband perished during the War.

Rojsa Landau was the next eldest daughter of Dobra and Hirsh Landau. She had an ability to quickly learn foreign languages. It was useful

during the War. She perished in unclear circumstances.

Haja Ester Landau was also a daughter od Dobra and Hirdh and mother if the famous

haematologist, Prof. Luba Judkiewicz. She stayed in Łódź untilthe outbreak of the War.

Sheindel Landau was the eighth child of Dobra and Hirsh. After her mariagge, She left for

Germany which they left after the rise of fascism. Thet returned once to Poland in order to say

goodbay and then left for Palestine.

Two representatives of the Landau family currently live in Częstochowa.

Based on the book ,,The Jews of Częstochowa”

Complied by Klaudia Konfederak

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