Also, Öttingen or Ettinge or Ettinger, etc. usually preceded or followed by Levy or Levi as in: Levy-Ottingen or Ottingen-Levy. Another more detailed page on this family can be found on the JewGenpedia website.
Ha Goan Elias Eliyahu Halevi Öttingen == Hanna Bunla Gunzburg >> R’Mordechai Model Levy-Öttingen == Rifke Sore >> Avraham Model de Vienne Halevi-Öttingen ( – 1637) == Vögele / Vogele Teomim >> HaRav Naftali Hirsch HaLevi Ettinge, Medico of Przemsyl == N. N. >> Ha Rosh Abraham Ahron Halevi Lichtenstadt == Dina Epstein >> Salomon Levi Öttingen / Ettinge-Levy ( – 1697) == Schifra Spira Wedeles >> Bele Öttingen-Levy == Isaac Schimon Bondi (1689 – 1754) >> Simon Isaak Bondi (ca. 1711 – 1733) == Magdelene Frankel-Teomim (1713 – 1778) >>Jonas Bondi (1732 – 1765) == Bella Schifra >> Chayle Bondi == Koppel Kolb (Loeb) of Bamberg (1747 – 1835) >> Moises Loeb / Moritz Reis (1782 – 1855) == Émilie Bickartt (1784 ) >> Jonas Reis (1809 – 1877) == Marian Samuel (1825 – 1900) >> REIS FAMILY
Elias Eliyahu Halevi Öttingen was a member of the Öttingen family, a prominent Jewish family from Bavaria. He was born around 1510. His father was likely Abraham Ben Israel Ha-Levi Öttingen, who was born in Öttingen, Bavaria and died on September 16, 1565 in Vienna. He married Bona or Bunlin or Bunla Günzburg, the daughter of Simeon Günzburg.
Simeon Günzburg. was a German scholar; communal worker; born at Günzburg, Bavaria, 1506; died at Burgau Jan. 9, 1585. He was a rich merchant, and traveled around in Germany and Poland in the interests of his business. He was also a great Talmudist, and had some knowledge of secular sciences. His residence was first at Günzburg, where, he built a synagogue and established a cemetery; and then he settled at Burgau, a neighboring town. There also he worked for the welfare of the community, for which reason his name is commemorated in a special prayer. He was the progenitor of the family that bears his name and for which there is an entry on Wikipedia.
Elia and Bunla’s son, Mordechai Model Levy-Öttingen, was born in about 1555 and died in 1620 at the age of 65 in Oettingen in Bavaria, Germany. He was associated with Oettingen im Ries, a small town in Bavaria, located about 80 km from Nuremberg and Augsburg. He was described as a philanthropist, leader, and renowned pious man.
An entry in a memorial book praised him as “a pious man, perfect in his deeds and distinguished in his generation”. He was known for his work on behalf of the people in his region, his efforts to settle the poor, and his acts of kindness towards both poor and rich. He is said to have married Rifke Sore. Their son was:
Avraham de Vienne Halevi-Öttingen lived from 1582 to 1637. He was a “Court Jew” in Vienna and an adviser to the Holy Roman Emperor Kaiser Ferdinand II (1619-1637).
As a Court Jew, he handled financial matters for the Habsburg court, serving as a banker, lender, and financial adviser. Avraham enjoyed special privileges in return for his services. These could include exemption from wearing the Jews’ badge, permission to live in places where other Jews were not allowed, and the right to maintain their religious practices.
During Ferdinand II’s reign, the Habsburg court relied heavily on Jewish financiers. Loans from Jewish individuals and communities played a crucial role in financing wars and maintaining the court. But this reliance was also accompanied by threats of expulsion or forced “voluntary gifts” from Jewish communities. In 1630, at the Diet of Regensburg, he interceded with Emperor Ferdinand II and saved the Jewish community of Mantua. He died in Wien in 1637.
Avraham’s son was HaRav Naftali Hirsch HaLevi Ettinge, Medico of Przemsyl. / Naftali Hirzha – Levi Oettingen. Little is known about him but his title ‘Medico’ suggestswas a doctor. His wife’s name is not known but we know that after he died she married Jacob Lichtenstadt.
Ha Rosh Abraham Ahron Halevi Lichtenstadt: Full name and title: Abraham (Aharon, Aaron) Lichtenstadt Halevi Levi-Ettingen, also referred to as Abraham Aaron Oettingen-Lichtenstadt.
He was born around 1628 and died in1702 in Prague, the son of the above Naftali Hirsch HaLevi Ettinge, Medico of Przemsy and stepson of Jacob Lichtenstadt.
He was elected as a “rashe ha-kahal” (elder) of the Prague Jewish Community in February 1677 and served as Primator of the “Landesjudenschaft” (Provincial Jewish Community or Jews living outside of Prague) in Bohemia. He is also referred to as “land primas” and “Court Jew” of the Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg.
Abraham Ahron was the stepson of Jacob Lichtenstadt, who was a wealthy and influential Parnas (community leader).
Jacob Lichtenstadt served as the Primator (leader) of the Landesjudenschaft, Boehmische (organization of Bohemian Jewry outside the Prague community) until 1672.
According to Glückei of Hameln’s memoirs, “Reb Jacob presided as parnas of the province until his death, and possessed enormous riches.” However, towards the end of his life, Jacob came into conflict with his stepson Abraham Aaron Oettingen-Lichtenstadt. This conflict reportedly resulted in Jacob losing much of his wealth. His stepson succeeded him as Primator from 1672 to 1693.
Another source says this about Abraham Aaron:
LICHTENSTADT, ABRAHAM AARON (d. 1702), *Court Jew and primator (“leader”) of the Bohemian *Landesjudenschaft. Lichtenstadt has been identified with Aaron Schlackenwerth (d. 1694) and also with Abraham Aaron of Frankfurt, but Tobias *Jakobovits established that he was the son of the physician Naphtali Hirz Oettingen of Przemysl (Poland). He took his family name from his place of residence, Hroznetin (Lichtenstadt). First mentioned as agent of the court of Saxony, he became the shtadlan of Bohemian Jewry in 1673. In 1680 he persuaded *Leopold I to cancel the order expelling the Jews from the Planá community (see *Chodová Planá), and later secured for the Jews the right to attend the Leipzig fairs. He was instrumental in having Abraham *Broda appointed as chief rabbi (Landesrabbiner) of Bohemian Jewry in 1689.
As a result of internal strife in the Jewish community, he was denounced for abusing his position when determining the allotment of taxes. Legal proceedings were opened in 1692, and although a case could not be established against him, Leopold I removed him from his post and had him, his son Solomon, and the secretary (Landschreiber) of the Landesjudenschaft imprisoned. The complicated trial which followed was one of the most prominent of its kind at the time. In 1693 he was released from prison and restored to office in 1701; those who had denounced him were imprisoned.
- bibliography: T. Jakubovits, in: mgwj, 74 (1930), 35–41; 76 (1932), 511–2; idem, in: jggjČ, 5 (1933), 79–136, passim. At the very end of this page, after all the family charts, can be found an English translation Jakubovits’ work.
The son of Abraham was Salomon Halevi Oettingen-Levy Lichtenstadt who married Schifra Spira Wedeles, the daughter of Wolf Spira Wedeles. Their daughter Bele Öttingen-Levy married Isaac (Jizchak) ben Schimon Bondi. Several family charts are shown below, all of which trace the descent from the Öttingen-Levy family to the Reis family. A more general family chart can be viewed HERE.
https://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/inchebr2/nav/index/all
Who is Abraham Aron Lichtenstadt?
Abraham Aron, Princely Court Jew of Saxony-Lauenburg and Primate of the regional Jewry in Bohemia is definitely the most striking, influential and interesting figure among his contemporaries in Bohemia. As Primate of the regional Jews, he was called upon, supported by his outstanding intellectual power in combination with his wealth and reputation, to act as an advocate for the Jews everywhere and to intervene successfully against their countless oppressions and sufferings.
Whether it was a matter of expelling entire Jewish communities, families or individuals, depriving his fellow believers of their rights when conducting their business in their homes and on the markets, or insulting the Jewish name, we see him everywhere taking the necessary steps to put an end to these evils, with the expenditure of his entire personality. It is completely true when it is claimed of him that he “saved the lives and livelihoods of thousands and tens of thousands of Jews.”
We first encounter Abraham Aron on April 24, 1671, as a Saxon court Jew, when he purchased wool from two merchants from Basel and filed a complaint against them for poor delivery. From then on we can continuously follow his large, far-reaching trading transactions in all the archives of Prague and the provinces.
He probably began his activity as the first regional delegate with the “Specification (Conscription) of the Jews from Austria residing in the Bohemian countryside” ordered by the Bohemian Chamber, which he presented on February 13, 1673, organized by districts, lords and localities, stating the names and places of origin of the Jews. It was not until July 3, 1673, however, that he and the other delegates and assessors received the imperial “patent” for this. From this time on, the entire activity of the regional Jewish community bears the stamp of his active and capable personality, who does not let the smallest injustice go by without taking action against it.
Abr. Aron earned a special merit for the Jews of Plan near Marienbad. When Countess Maria Maxirniliana Theresia Collaldo, née Countess von Althau, in 1680 “had driven out all the Jews from Plan out of pure love for God” and wanted to build “a Christian Catholic chapel from the Jewish synagogue”, our Abr. Aron presented pleading petitions; petitioned the Emperor Leopold I, the governor’s office and the district office, just to reverse the expulsion, which was not easy given the anti-Jewish mood at the time. But he did not rest until he succeeded in forcing the governor’s office on October 18, 1681, to force the bigoted woman to accept the Jews back into her rule.
However, he did not only stand up for Bohemian Jewry, but for all Jewry. On July 21, 1676, he complained to the governor’s office about “so many persecutions of the Jews” at the Leipzig fair and asked for help; on August 6/16, 1687, from Schlackenwerth, he renewed his request to the Elector to protect the Jewish fairgoers against all insults, abuses and violence. It was thanks to him that the famous Abraham Broda, then rabbi in Lichtenstadt, was appointed Bohemian regional rabbi on August 9, 1689. However, it was also he who, in 1691, transferred part of this country rabbinate to R. Wolf Wedeles (Spira), who had become related to him in the meantime, without the knowledge and against the will of R. Abraham Broda, which caused a lot of bad blood 3.
These are some examples of his work as Primator.
For twenty years Abr. Aron faithfully represented the interests of the rural Jews as a primator, defended their rights and protected them against all arbitrary treatment; during this time he acquired wealth and prestige as a court Jew, as well as through his dealings with the nobility and extensive trade relations. He also enjoyed domestic happiness; his learned sons and daughters married into the leading Jewish families. Fortune seemed to be on his side in every respect.
But the Primator was suddenly overthrown from the height of his fortune. His independent and arbitrary actions in office, as well as envy and resentment, which mostly prevailed against the favored court Jews, had brought him the enmity of the two state delegates Berl Tabor and Elias Backofen; they denounced him to the government, saying that he had committed falsifications in the contribution distribution, which was the greatest crime at that time, when the Jews were tolerated mainly because of their tax payments.
Abr. Aron was therefore brought under investigation on August 22, 1692 and, without this producing a positive result, was deposed as Primator by Leopold I on April 20, 1693 and at the same time placed under arrest along with the state clerk Elias Bunzel. The Bohemian Chamber, especially its President Count Schlick, acted ruthlessly against him; by a circular letter it called on all district captains to investigate Abr. Aron’s outstanding debts among the district Jews and to confiscate them; it submitted a request to the governor’s office to “cash in on” his movable property confiscated in Lichtenstadt and to keep the money in sequestration, which the governor’s office refused on the grounds that his guilt had not yet been proven. Like a serious criminal, Abr. Aron was put in a dark cell in the basement of the prison, where he contracted a serious illness and, despite his request, was not released until he recovered. He only had the devoted care of his daughter to thank for his recovery.
When he asked for a reduction in his sentence, he was forbidden, at the instigation of Count Schlick, to receive his children and friends, which had previously been permitted. At his request, his wife was allowed to travel from Lichtenstadt to Prague and visit him; but he was taken to the remote dungeon at Hradschin. It was of no use to him that the two informers Berl Tabor and Elias Backofen were also in custody ex capite blasphemiae; They were released for a short time on September 24, 1693, thanks to Count Schlick’s intervention. Abr. Aron appointed the state prosecutor Stephan Bayer and his brother Michael Bayer as lawyers for himself and for Elias Bunzel; everything possible was done to prove their innocence; however, the whole contribution system and its review was so complicated and the Inquisition Commission appointed for this worked so slowl that it was far from possible to clarify the matter. Only a favorable testimony from the Margrave of Schlackenwerth and the offer of a deposit of 20,000 fl. resulted in Abr. Aron being released on December 15, 1693, following an imperial decree, after he had previously agreed to keep strict silence about the harassment he had endured during his imprisonment. Released with him were: Elias Bunzel, his son Salomon, as well as Esther, his daughter’s cook, with whom he was accused of “adultery”, and Löbl Mikowitz.
Abr. Aron now tried to clear himself of the accusation; however, it became apparent that other representatives of the regional Jewish community, namely Elias Götzel Lochowitz, Elias Moyses, and Aron Rieß, were also against him. Lawsuits and countersuits alternated for years, and documents piled up.
His bail was returned to him on November 4, 1694, and all his documents and trade books were returned on January 17, 1695. On August 14, 1696, he appeared again as the court Jew of the Margrave of Baden and was even appointed as the “representative” of the regional Jewry on August 17, 1699, but the relationship between him and the delegates was so poisoned that even the intervention of the governor’s office could not improve it.
It was not until the decree of November 22, 1701 that Leopold I passed the verdict, according to which “Abraham Aron Lichtenstadt was acquitted of the trial, but was sentenced to reimburse the costs. Berl Tabor and Elias Backofen are to work in irons and chains on the Spielberg for a year and then avoid the kingdom”. Abr. Aron was On December 14, 1701, Leopold I “reinstated him in his former office as regional primate.”
This rehabilitated him in the eyes of the public; but the almost ten years of uninterrupted excitement, as well as painful family losses, broke his vitality. He only worked for the regional Jews for another year; on December 3, 1702, this great, sorely tried man closed his eyes forever. Just as he was persecuted in life—on March 21, 1702, he asked the governor’s office for protection from his enemies—no one would grant him peace in death either. On December 3, 1702, “the heirs of Abr. Aron complained to the governor’s office about the Jewish people.” Perdon’s tenants, that they wanted to get a large sum from them for the burial of their father, to use it so that the dead body could be buried, and a reasonable one would be accepted from them.” This also immediately sent an order to the Old Town captain to immediately make arrangements so that “the Aronic body” could be buried.
This is a brief outline of the work of our Abr. Aron and his tremendous trial, which cast its shadow over the already difficult situation of Bohemian Jewry. Abraham Aron is often mentioned in Jewish literature, but there is complete uncertainty about his identity, and the view is even completely contrary to the truth. M. Grunwald, in his report on a “complaint about nuisances on the Pilsen market around 1676”, calls him Abraham Aron from Frankfurt. The same author mentions him in another work as Primate of Bohemia; a reference to Hock-Kaufmann, however, reveals that he is confusing him with a complete stranger. Samuel Krauss also lists him as Primator, but he believes that Abr. Aron is identical with Aron Schlackenwerth, who died in 1694. Max Freudenthal makes the same error by pointing to Aron Schlackenwerth; other scholars refer to him as his son.
In Jewish literature, however, another Primator of Bohemia is known for the same period, namely Abraham Lichtenstadt, whose father Naftali Hirzha – Lewi Oettingen was a doctor in Przemysi. His grandson Josef Oettingen, son of Eliezer, rabbi in Holleschau (d. 1709), writes about him in the preface to his work עדות בייפף Sulzbach 1741) אבי אבא היד דדה המפורסם הק ציץ פרימש המדינות פיהם מיהר״ר אברהם ליכטנשמאפז ז״ל ה״ה אשר הציל נפשית רבות לאלפים ולרבבות מישראל . David Kaufmann believes that he was the Primator of Prague, which led him to false conclusions, although he correctly states his year of death and that of his wife Dina.
Dembitzer describes the Primator Abraham Lichtenstadt as the ancestor of a large family. Bernhard Wachstein also mentions him in the description of his famous family. For his genealogy, David Magid is the most important; he provides a detailed family tree of the entire Oettingen family, where the ancestors and descendants of Abraham Lichtenstadt are listed. David Kaufmann provides a valuable addition to this in his work “Mordechai Model Oettingen and his children”.
According to what has been stated here, there were two primates of Bohemia, one was Abraham Aron Lichtenstadt, the other Abraham Lichtenstadt. Naftali Hirz Oettingen; both lived and worked at the same time as primates of the Bohemian regional Jewry. But how is that possible? The answer is quite simple: Abraham Aron and Abraham b. Naftali Hirz are identical. On closer examination, it also becomes clear that all the data known to us, whether they concern the person or the family, confirm this identity. To confirm our statement, we briefly present the evidence here, which could be increased, whereby we only provide the inscription from the Prague gravestones of some family members.
The date of Abraham Aron’s death that we already know (13th Kislev, 3rd December 1702) is actually also that of Abraham Oettingen.
His gravestone begins: יום א’ י״ג כסלו תם״ו. ל״ק, וי תמ אברהם וינוע קצין ושוע, ככלבא שבוע, ספון בארו ואשברוע, משפם עשה וצדקה דה בצוע, וימי אברהם הלוך ונסוע, פרנם הדור המפורסם האלוף מו״ה אברהם ל״ש םג״ל פרימם המדינה בן ה״ה מו״ה נפתלי הירץ סג״ל ו״ל רו פא מומחה איטינגץ . In a file from March 12, 1693 it says: “. . .the Jewish country primate Abraham Aarons. . . Son (has) of Wedeie’s (R. Wolf Spira) daughter. . . married “, which refers to the already mentioned son Solomonix.
His epitaph (15 Tamus 1697) also confirms this information: יום ה׳ ט״ו תמוו תנ״ו ל״ק, פה ספון וטמון איש נכ בד ומהימן הנעלה כהר״ר שלמה בן הראש והקצין מהר״ר אברהם ל״ש חתן ה״ה המופלג מו״ה וואלף י״ץ הרב דמדינת פיהם ור״מ .
The same tombstone also includes the grave of his mother Dina, who soon followed him in death (Elul 24, 1697), which reads: יום גי כ״ד אלול תנ״ו ל״ק פה טמונה אישה יקרה ונ עימה הצנועה מרת
Our Abraham is not referred to as Primator in the two grave inscriptions, since he was still in court in 1697. The grave inscription of his eldest daughter E d 1, who is known by the name Helene Wienerin, tells us a lot. She cared for her father in prison during his illness and successfully strove for his release. According to Leopold I’s rescript of May 23, 1703, the Bohemian Chamber was to help her with the 2,600 fl. that the local Jewry owed her father. Her husband is described (1699) as “David Wiener, Abr. Aron’s daughter’s husband.”
Its inscription (4th Cheshvan 1705) begins: יום הי ד׳ מרחשון תס״ו ל׳ פ״ט היולדת הצנועה מרת אידל תכא ש והקצין ה״ה מוהר״ר אברהם ל״ש סג״ל ו״ל איטינגן פרימם דמדינה אשת הנעלה כהר״ר דוד בהראש והקצין כהר״ר מיכל ווינד ו״ל ר״ה . The passage appears in the text: . . . דבריי הנעימים עשו פרי אצל לכ גדולי רמים כגבר היתד. משתדלה להצלת אביה. . . . The epitaph (8th Adar I. 1742) of his youngest daughter Feile reads: ביום ב׳ שלא נאמר יכ טוב ח׳ אדר ראשון תק״ב לפ״ק פה טמונה צנוע והגונה החכמנית והזקינה מרח פייאלה בת המפורסם פרימם המדינה האלוף מו״ה אברהם ל״ש דל הלוי בין נגידים מכונה, אשת האלוף התורני מו״ ה סיני נייאשטעדטל זצ״ל דיינא ונשאת שנית להראש והקצין פ״ו יוזפא בינדלש ז״ל . Abraham Aron married for the second time Muskat, the widow of Isak Taußig Sachsei, Primate of Prague (d . 1691)1, she is referred to once as “Muskat widow of Abraham Eitka” and again as “Muskat after Abr. Aron remained widow” (d . 1719)2.
But what has caused all scholars to this day to stubbornly ignore the fact of the identity of the two Abrahams is the name Aron, since the second name usually refers to the father’s. How can Abraham, son of Naftali Hirz, call himself the son of Aron? The answer is given to us by the memoirs of Glückei von Hameln, where it says3:
“The two also engaged my brother Wolf . . . to the daughter of Jakob Lichtenstadt. He was known as a very
respected, brave man; he was the head of the state (פרנס המדינה) until his death and was extremely wealthy.
But finally he had a dispute with his stepson Abraham Lichtenstadt, so that towards the end of his life his financial situation deteriorated.” This Jakob L. is none other than the first state delegate Jakob Aron from Lichtenstadt, who as such received an imperial letter of protection on April 12, 1663. 4 Jakob Aron did indeed run into financial difficulties towards the end of his life, which is evident from the following note on a petition to the governor’s office: “Jakob Aron, Princely Saxon Court Judge asks him to protect the passport and letter of protection that has been issued, and to refer those who think they are making accusations against him to his authority and not to let them be burdened with any execution. April 9, 1671.”
In 1675 Jacob Aron was already dead when “Lazar and Brachei (so) JacobAronian Jews orphans of Lichtenstadt” asked the governorship on May 28, 1675 and August 14, 1676 to help them pay off their debts. Jakob Lichtenstadt had only used Aron as a family name. Of the three Abraham Lichtenstadts living at the same time, all of whom were prominent in public office, only our Abraham comes into consideration as his stepson (בנר חררגר), who took the surname Aron from his stepfather or foster father Jakob Aron, as his son Salomon Aron was also called1. Whether Jakob and Abraham Aron worked as court Jews in Schlackenwerth at the same time or, as we suspect, one after the other, would still have to be determined, but this is probably the reason for the disagreements mentioned by Glückei von Hameln. Abraham Oettingen from Lichtenstadt used the surname Aron only as his civil name when dealing with the authorities and the people around him, but never considered it as a part of his Hebrew name. That is why in the numerous German records of the regional Jewish community, as well as in the minutes and documents of the authorities from 1671 to 1702, we always find only the name of the Primator Abraham Aron, whereas in Hebrew he is always called Abraham b. Naftali Hirz Oettingen, as can be seen on the grave inscriptions mentioned above and as is also proven by his own signature translated into German, which can be found on Abraham Broda’s admission certificate for the position of regional rabbi. This reads: “Abraham Lichtenstadt, family Levit Ethingen”.
THE END