Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Suwałki (Yiddish: סואוואַלק) - Sejny - my mothers fathers roots

Alfred Rozental married a Polish Catholic woman from Suwalki, the future mother of Gabriel (my grandfather) and his sister Renia. 



My mothers grandfather Alfred Rozental was born in a small village (Sejny?) near Suwalki (or in Suwalki in North-Eastern Poland, where his father was a blacksmith and also leased a fish pond. There was only a 4-grade school nearby, so he went to live with his uncle (a tailor) and became his apprentice. At age 17, Alfred Rozental left for Warsaw (on foot), where he became a tailor. He was pretty successful at his trade, had a shop on 139 Marszalkowska Street (prime location), and his clients included the military officers.

Alfred married a Polish Catholic woman from Suwałki (Yiddish: סואוואַלק), the future mother of Gabriel (my grandfather) and his sister Renia. This might be where the Rozental family acquired its blond/blue genes, which then helped Zofia and Krystyna survive the Holocaust]. The Polish woman - wife of Alfred (we don't know her name) was apparantly educated, and she did some book-keeping and clerical work. However, she died young, and Alfred remarried. He and his second wife (who was Jewish) had two children: Piotr (b. 1900) and Lenora. Alfred was murdered in Treblinka.


Now, if Alfred went to Warsaw and had a fancy shop on Marszalkowska Street, why was Gabriel Rozental born in Sejny in 1893? Back to the undeveloped area of Poland, later called Poland B. I t makes no sense!




My great-grandfather, Alfred Rozental lived in this house on the 139 Marszałkowska street and in the same house he had a tailor shop with glass exhibit with models. Photograph from the year 1938-1939 when he already "retired".

Mój pradziadek, Alfred Rozental mieszkal w domu na ul. Marszałkowska 139 i w tym samym domu miał zakład krawiecki z szyba wystawowa z modelami. Zdjecie z roku 1938-1939 gdy juz "przeszedł na emeryture".

Editorial office for Janusz Korczaks first books was also at  the 139 Marszałkowska street.

FABRYKA Kapeluszy i czapek Karola Fichtner ulica Marszałkowska 139 poleca: Kapelusze, Cylindry, Szapoklaki i czapki. Ceny b. umiarkowane.


Akta miasta Warszawy Referat Gabarytów
https://www.warszawa.ap.gov.pl/referat_gabarytow/galerie/Marszalkowska2_galeria/index2.html