Jews in associations using the example of Mainbernheim
Jews in associations using the example of Mainbernheim The beginnings of Jewish life in Mainbernheim date back to the late Middle Ages. In the first half of the 19th century, the modern community, which had emerged at the end of the 17th century, prospered. In 1837 there were 140 Jewish people in Mainbernheim. This corresponded to 8.6% of the population.
At this time, Louis Liebenstein (born 1843 in Hüttenheim) settled in Mainbernheim and founded a wine wholesaler in 1865. In 1869 he married Therese Stahl from Sommerhausen. Two sons, Justin (b. 1878) and Leon (b. 1881), continued to run the wine business.
The family must have been very well integrated and respected, because father and sons were members of the "Royal Privileged Shooting Society Mainbernheim".
Two targets have been preserved in the shooting target collection, which were donated by Justin and Leon Liebenstein. Both discs date back to 1910. The disc given by Justin Liebenstein shows his portrait in the middle, his commercial building in the upper left corner, the "Upper Gate" in the lower left, and the "Lower Gate" in the lower right corner.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the coexistence of Jewish and Christian people in the small town was quite easy, as long as the rules were followed. Jewish people joined associations, such as the shooting society or the fire brigade, not least in order to use this position to expand their own networks and consolidate their social position. Jewish origin and religion did not play a role in the life of the association.
This changed abruptly when the National Socialists began to marginalize and humiliate Jewish individuals in 1933. Another target in the collection shows the portraits of 6 deceased shooting brothers. In one portrait, the name was blurred – it is the Jewish wine merchant Louis Liebenstein, d. 1908.
From 1938 onwards, all Jews in the German Reich had to adopt the additional Jewish compulsory name "Sara" or "Israel". The National Socialist authorities had begun to mark Jews, who were also required to carry an "identification card" with them.
The two brothers, Justin and Leon Liebenstein, also had to use these forced names. Their identification cards were issued by the Mainz authorities, where they had moved in the meantime.
Peter Kraus and Gerlinde Wagner
