Ferdinand Hanauer (1848 - 1920)

Ferdinand Hanauer was born in Richen on September 24th, 1848 as son of Mayer Hanauer and his (first) wife Augusta née Mayer (1806 - 1899).

Ferdinand married Emma (Elkele) Jeselsohn from Neckarbischofsheim on November 17, 1874. She was the daughter of the deceased trader and chairman of the synagogue Levi Hirsch Jeselsohn and his wife Elisa née Adler. The couple had five children: Leopold (*1876), Moritz (*1877), Lina (*1879), Hermann (*1880) and Elise (*1884). Lina died within a few month. The other children emigrated to the US before 1910.
Emma Hanauer died in Steinsfurt on July 2, 1866 and was buried on the Waibstadt cemetery◊.

Ferdinand then married Lina Adler in Großeicholzheim on December 6, 1886. She was born in Markelsheim on November 27, 1863 as daughter of the trader Emanuel Adler and his wife Babette née Adler ◊. The couple had three children: the twins Emma and Mina were born in 1887, but Mina died within a few days and Emma died in 1895. In 1897 daughter Recha was born. Recha emigrated to the USA.
Lina succeded to escape the Nazi-terror and went to the US – her daughter paid the travel expenses. She died in Baltimore in 1948.

Ferdinand died in Steinsfurt on September 16th, 1920  and was buried on the cemetery in Waibstadt. His grave can still be seen there.

For many years Ferdinand Hanauer was a teacher for Israelitic RE in Steinsfurt. He was the cantor of the congregation and responsible for the shechita.  An article in the Frankfurter Israelitischen Familienblatt on September 11th, 1908 commemorates his 40th anniversary as a teacher.
On December 15, 1908 he was presented the „kleine Goldene Verdienstmedaille” by Großherzog Friedrich II of Baden.

He was a member in many societies and must have been a really gifted speaker. Again and again we read that he was the main speaker in festivities e.g. for the Gesangverein. Even at the laying of the foundations for the synagogue he held the speech.

He died on September 16th 1920. After his death the „Der Landbote” wrote:

* Waibstadt, Sept 20 [1921] (Event of death). The melamed Hanauer died in Steinsfurt at the age of 72 and was buried in the Waibstadt isr. cemetery. He had been a melamed for many years in Neckarbishofsheim and so is still remembered there as well.