Home | Names | Stories | Pictures | Links | Peter's Page | Guestbook | Email | Site map
The origin of our Friedmann ancestors is unknown at this time, although Heinrich is listed as being a Fabrikant from Szenitz, Hungary (now Senica, Slovakia), yet married in Prostějov/Prossnitz.
In 1850, the Friedmann family opened a Textile business in the town of Sternberg, now Šternberk.cz, Šternberk.org people site
Moravia/Mähren, Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia. In 1852, Anton Heeg, Ignatz Schottik and Heinrich Friedmann formed a firm named "Heeg, Schottik & Friedmann". In 1863 Johann Kuntner sold the building to "Anton Heeg & Heinrich Friedmann". In 1868 the partnership dissolved, Anton sold his share to Heinrich, who died in 1891. Ludwig Friedmann inherited the building and sold it in 1909 to "K. K. Allgemeine Verkehrbank Wien". The buildings history goes back to 1562 and as of 1950, it has been Šternberk's Post Office. *See our Town ŠTERNBERK(Sternberg) story or Jewish history of Moravia "..The city of Sternberg, whence Jews had been expelled in 1562, passed a resolution that it would never allow a Jew to settle there" (Allg. Zeit. des Jud. 1849, p. 506)
Note: Researching relationship between; Heinrich (ca. 1823 in ? Married Prostějov-1891 Vienna), Ludwig (ca. 1855 Prostějov-1920 Vienna) & our great-great-grandfather Bernhard (ca. 1835 in ?-1900 Vienna), father of Arthur below


In 1886, new and larger "Heeg a Friedmann Textile" factory was built on Bahnstrasse 6 als Käufer (now Nádražní, Šternberk). The factory was a:
mechanická tkalcovna na lněné a bavlněné zboží producing
Leinwand, Baumwoll-Leinwand, Kanevas, Gradl, Inlets, Barchent (farbig und weiss), Chiffons
Arthur Friedmann continued in the family business, with
a sales office in Niederlage at Vienna (Wien I, Rudolfsplatz 13),
first District, Rudolf square, house number 13. The Friedmann factory, was the second largest industrial employer in Šternberk/Sternberg (after the tobacco factory) & for some 70 years, they employed up to 400 workers at any given time. The factory was "self sufficient", with it's own water and electricity. First floor had offices and shop floor,second floor apartments, where Leonie (Böhm) Friedmann had a part-time apartment and daughter Anne (Friedmann) +Johann "Hans" Klimesch, with their children *Adele (Heidi), Rudolf and Arthur lived (picture below left).
Johann, who was associated with the factory since 1912, became it's manager and eventually it's owner. Besides the factory, the property included a large garden, land next to the factory - leased
to a farmer and (2) buildings across the street (property line map below). Arthur and Leonie lived full time at Bellaria 4 house, in Vienna.

Besides the Heeg & Friedmann textile, there was also Gröeger (Kurt) textile, later becoming Moravia(Mora-Top appliance mfg) and about 10 other smallertextile firms. Both factories and all their properties were confiscated in 1946 by the town. It took until 1948 before an "official confiscation document" was issued by Sternberg re; Heeg & Friedmann.
The town gave or sold it to Vigona
, but they were unable to determine the factory's future and "demolished it" in 1949? Adele was aware of the demolition, but could not go and see it up close, as it hurt too much, but did see the chimney fall down from afar. The communists wanted to make make sure - there were no "structures for possible claims", since the country was becoming "Officially Communist" in 1948. The Gröeger family was deported to Russia, as was tried with Johann, but he faked his "heart attack", returning home 3 days later, and thereafter, emigrating to Canada. *Vigona was bought by Fibertex of Svitavy in 2004.

Only Adele Klimesch (age 21) remained behind in 1948 Šternberk/Sternberg, as a result of meeting captain Miroslav ROHEL in 1947. However, "they did not know" - the country would become and remain Communist, under Russia's control and closed borders. Adele remembers, when their Factory & Home was being demolished, but did not and could not, go see the injustice up close, only viewing the chimney falling down, from afar. Miroslav + Adele ended up working at Moravia, where co-workers were told "not to talk to them by the Communists", but more will be included on life in Šternberk elsewhere, including our family of (9) 1969 escape to Vienna, before coming to Canada.
p.s. There were other relatives of ours such as; Brüder Böhm Hats
/
(2,000 employees) in Novy Jicin(Neutitshein), Morawetz & Oberländer textile factories in Upice
(Eypel), Grünfeld-textile in Humpolec, Žatec or?, Hirsch textile in Hořice & others, who also lost their assets to the Czechoslovakian communists and not the Nazi's. Several of the families also owned factories, businesses and properties in Vienna, which were taken by the Nazi's: Friedmann-textile, Böhm-textile, Wolf-rug & curtain, Kantor-private bank, Winter-private bank, Kary-textile, etc. *see Stories

What's on our Property Now? 8-Apartment Buildings=Sídliště Nádražní, Gas Station owned by Benzina, a.s., new Věžní

200.jpg)
200.jpg)

Road (ulice) and 2 other Buildings (currently unknown). We have no idea who the present owners of the properties are, but "no compensation" was ever received for the stolen properties from the town of Šternberk, the Czech government or anyone else, something I would like to rectify.
Note: *see article re; Benzina a.s.: Sep. 2006 Polish PKN Orlen’s streamlining at Unipetrol also includes unloading within the next 18 months as many as 50 substandard and poorly located filling stations belonging to Unipetrol subsidiary Benzina AS.
Unipetrol will maintain its 330-station total by buying other stations from competitors AND The Richest Czech Keeps a Secret AND Jul 14, 2004 Sale of Nádražní Apartments
"Výměny bytů. Zájemcům o koupi bytů do osobního nebo družstevního vlastnictví: Pokud bydlíte v nájemních bytech města nebo případně ijiných vlastníků a máte zájem
o výměnu těchto bytů s byty, jejichž nabídka ke koupi právě probíhá (sídliště Uničovská, Nádražní 2,4,6).." AND Jan 6, 2006 Renovations plan (below): Šternberk upraví sídliště
"..Revitalizace by se měla dočkat sídliště v ulicích Nádražní, Uničovská a Jiráskova, patřící k nejlidnatějším lokalitám ve městě. Anketu mezi obyvatelstvem radnice uspořádá během ledna .."
*Do you have additional pictures or "Heeg & Friedmann" items? Please contact me.
Contact: Peter Rohel, 42 Cardigan Rd., Toronto, ON, Canada M8Z-2W2 | Copyright: © 2004-2009