Bernhard and Cäcilie Zeimann (née Friedländer)

Bernhard Zeimann was born on 31 December 1869 in Vyshin and became a respected merchant (Kaufmann) in Lauban, a small Silesian town whose Jewish community was closely connected with nearby Görlitz. In 1893, he married Cäcilie Friedländer, and together they built their life in Lauban, raising two daughters: Else (later Lomnitz) and Margot Stephanie, who died as an infant in 1904.

Bernhard was an active member of the Görlitz Synagogue Association, remembered for his civic spirit and charitable work. His obituary noted that he had “shown tireless devotion to the welfare of his fellow citizens, especially during the World War, earning their gratitude.” When he died on 24 February 1925, his wife Cäcilie Zeimann placed a notice announcing his death and cremation. His ashes were interred in the Görlitz Jewish Cemetery, where his daughter Margot was already buried — a sign of the family’s enduring spiritual and communal ties to Görlitz.

After Bernhard’s death, Cäcilie remained in Lauban. The 1928 Lauban citizen list records her still residing at Nikolaistraße 1, alongside other Jewish residents such as Erich Lomnitz, her son-in-law, and several families known from Görlitz. This document captures a moment of stability and continuity, reflecting how Görlitz functioned as the religious and cultural center for Jewish life throughout the surrounding Silesian towns.

The Zeimanns’ story — preserved in gravestones, registers, and community lists — embodies the connected world of Jewish Silesia before 1933. Their family life in Lauban, their burials in Görlitz, and their deep involvement in Jewish communal institutions together testify to the vitality, cohesion, and later loss of this regional network.

© Lauren Leiderman