August Bondi Excerpts from the Autobiography of August Bondi
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August Bondi Excerpts from the Autobiography of August Bondi (1833–1907)* CHAPTER I FAMILY HISTORY ORIGIN OF THE NAME There is a family tradition that sometime toward the close of the seventeenth or the early part of the eighteenth century, one Jomtov Landschreiber, a rural scrivener, whose business it was to keep up the census of the Jewish communities scattered through Bohemia, outside of Prague, and report the assessment of taxes subject to review by the respective authorities; when urged to adopt a Christian name and to Germanize it, adopted the name of “Bondy.” He had traveled in Italy and “become somewhat acquainted with the Italian language, so he changed the Hebrew word, “Jomtov,” (good-day) for the Italian word, “Bondi,” (good-day) and Germanized it by changing the letter “i” into “y,” making the name “Bondy” and all the Bondi and Bondy families in the world are descended from that Jomtov Landschreiber. There are in the United States many families “Bundy;” they are descendants of a Huguenot settler, near Vincennes, Indiana, about the eighteenth century. ANCESTORS Of the descendants of Jomtov Landschreiber history is silent until we come to one Herz Emanuel Mendel Bondi or Bondy, a wealthy merchant of Prague, Bohemia, and his wife, Judith (nee Lämel), parents of seven children—two daughters and five sons. Of these sons, the youngest, Herz Emanuel Naphtali Bondy, was my father. CHANGE OF NAME My father’s family name was originally “Bondy.” In his first citizen’s papers he changed it to Bondi. *Autobiograpy of August Bondi (1833-1907): Published by His Sons and Daughters for Its Preservation (Galesburg, Illinois: Wagoner Printing Company, 1910). The following excerpts (chapters I through V) retain the original text of the printed edition, except for minor changes in punctuation, capitalization, and the correction of obvious errors. 87 All I know of my father’s ancestry is that he descended from an old and honored Jewish family of Bohemia. His grandmother was an Eibenschütz, of Dresden. My grandfather, Mendel Bondy, had been a well-to-do merchant, up to some ten years before his death in 1827, at the age of sixty-five years. My father always spoke of him with reverence. My father’s mother, Judith Bondy (née Lämel), died when my father was but fifteen years old. A little incident in the life of her youngest brother, Selke Lämel, may be of family interest. In his young days, towards the close of the 14th century, an eventful battle between the Austrians and the French resulted in a sad defeat of the former, and Austria wanted peace. To begin negotiations an armistice was necessary; but they did not know who could possibly be persona grata with the French commander. Some person in high standing had become acquainted with young Selke Lämel, of Tuschkan (at that time a wool-broker, and about 24 years old) in the coffee house frequented by both, had found him to be a French scholar, and had taken a liking to him. This man proposed the young Jew, Lämel, as a fitting messenger to Gen. Moreau (the victor at Hohenlinden and Lamback, Dec. 1800), to propose a truce. Lämel went and was successful, his negotiations being most satisfactory to the Austrian government. Lämel’s fortune was made. He was repeatedly commissioned to treat with French generals and even negotiated with Napoleon. He received any number of government contracts and became a millionaire, leaving to his wife, at his death in 1845, a sum equal to five million dollars. His widow died in her 96th year and the estate was divided among her children, who devoted a great part of it to charities, mostly Jewish, and to educational institutions. Lämel had, in about 1820, an audience with Emperor Francis. As he entered the room the Emperor called out, “Come closer, glad to see you, I love you, Lämel.” (Lamel or Lamele means lamb in the Austrian dialect.) Lämel answered, “So your majesty can shear him?” This so pleased the Emperor that Lämel was thereupon ennobled with the title, Simon Edler von Lämel. The family name and male line died out with his son, Leopold, who left daughters only. MY FATHER’S EARLY HISTORY My father was born at Prague, Bohemia, December 25, 1788 or 1790, family records differ as to the rear of his birth. In his 12th year he met with a serious accident at a ball game. His left leg was broken in two places which caused a limping gait in a fast walk. This defect, with his inferior size, 5 ft. 3 in., immured him from military service. He had what in those times was considered an excellent education and was well versed in Hebrew and German. From his eighteenth year on, he was engaged as either a salesman or a bookkeeper by prominent firms. In 1811 he joined the Masonic fraternity at Offenbach, or Frankf[u]rt, a[m] Main. Father often told me that the teachings of the secret societies to which he belonged incited to continual mental improvement and were a mutual aid and assistance in the troubles of life. He especially favored Masonry. Love and respect for that institution was, so to say, bred into me. 88 Among other societies to which my father belonged was a charitable organization something like the Christian Commission in our civil war of the sixties. It was the business of the members of this organization to visit the battlefields of 1813 and 1814, to assist in caring for the wounded and to relieve the suffering population near the battlegrounds whose homes had been burned and sustenance pillaged by both armies. In his old age my father could recall many scenes and events of the contests against Napoleon. He was present at the siege and battle of Dresden, where he saw Napoleon on the Bridge, over the Elbe, issuing his orders. Like all European Jews, my father held in great esteem the memory of Napoleon, as he had contributed so much to the extension of religious liberty. CHILDREN OF HERZ EMANUEL MENDEL BONDY My father’s brothers and sisters were: 1st. Wolf Emanuel Bondy, eldest. Died in 1863 at Prague, in his ninetieth year. His two sons were: Rudolph Bondy, childless, separated from his invalid wife (Gentile). Died in 1903, July 2nd, at the Alexian Brothers Hospital, St. Louis, Mo., of acute Bright’s disease. Remains cremated; ashes buried in Alton, Ill., cemetery by the grave of his first wife. Ludwig B., the second son, still living (1903), is the owner of quite a printing establishment in Vienna, with his only son as a partner. He is a widower and a Roman Catholic, his wife was also of that creed. The only daughter of Wolf Emanuel Bondy, Julia, married a Mr. Altman and died in 1852, leaving two infant daughters. 2nd. Ferdinand Bondy died childless at 45 years of age. 3rd. Lamel Bondy died childless in his seventieth year. 4th. Isaac Bondy died in 1879 at the age of ninety years. He had two sons, Emanuel Bondy, my brother-in-law, who died childless, near Salina, on my farm in 1874, buried in Gypsum Hill cemetery; and Joseph Bondy, died at Vienna, leaving surviving his widow, Helene Bondy, and one daughter married to a Mr. Freund, and one son. 5th. Anna Bondy, married, died leaving one daughter. Family name unknown to me. 6th. Louise Bondy, married “Lichtenstadt,” died a widow, almost ninety years old, in the eighties. Left surviving her six daughters, all yet living (1903), and one son, Maximilian Lichtenstadt, married and in the millinery business in Düsseldorf. MY MOTHER’S EARLY HISTORY My mother, Martha, born December 25, 1806, the youngest of three children, was left motherless in her infancy, her mother, Abigail, née Kuh, became insane during confinement with my mother, and died soon after. Her father, Wolf Adam Frankl, was the senior partner of one of the largest silk firms of Austria. My mother’s family, the Frankls, was of the oldest and most respected Jewish families of Prague. In 1810 Wolf Adam Frankl moved to Vienna with his three motherless children, David Adam, Joseph Adam and Martha. He died suddenly in August 1812, as was then supposed, by poison administered in a letter. In 1863 89 some old letters fell into the hands of my Uncle David Adam which proved, beyond a doubt, that the crime had been committed, but the guilty parties had all gone to their last account. One of the abettors, when at the point of death, delivered the correspondence to my uncle. I do not know the particulars, as I was in the United States army when my uncle wrote the information to my mother, and after my discharge I refrained from mentioning anything about it for fear of causing unnecessary pain to my mother. My mother’s father was a most benevolent and charitable man, as was often told me by old people who had known him well. He was greatly esteemed by the Jewish congregations of Prague and Vienna. He is buried in the old Jewish cemetery, in the oldest part, number 1265, near the gate, second tomb from that of Isaac Forster. After the death of Wolf Adam Frankl his children were removed to Prague and placed under the care of Israel Landau, president of the congregation, and Rosalia Rebecca Landau, his wife (my grandfathers sister), and were there educated. When a child I heard my mother and her brothers converse about the condition of my grandfather Frankl’s estate, how large it was at his decease and plundered in a most shameless manner by different parties.