One of my ancestral families is the NORDHEIMER family of Memmelsdorf in
Unterfranken (Lower Franconia), a village in the Itzgrund about halfway
between Bamberg and Coburg, now part of Untermerzbach. This is not the
same place as Memmelsdorf in Oberfranken (Upper Franconia) which is a
suburb of Bamberg and did not have a Jewish community.

The Stammvater (progenitor) of this family was one Wolf Schmay who adopted
the family name NORDHEIMER. He was born about 1749 in Nordheim vor der
Rhoen (hence the family name) and died in Memmelsdorf in 1827. Wolf
Schmay's only identified sibling was Gella (about 1730 - 1815) who was
married to Salomon STEIN. To the best of my knowledge, their only child
was Koppel Salomon STEIN (1761 Nordheim - 1835 Nordheim). I am very
interested in finding out more about the STEINs of Nordheim vor der
Rhoen. (I do have some additional information which I am not including
for the sake of brevity.) I am also very interested in determining other
siblings of Wolf and Gella and their descendants. Also, of course,
ancestors.

Wolf Schmay NORDHEIMER in Memmelsdorf in Unterfranken was married twice.
His first wife, whose name is unknown, was most probably the mother of his
six children who survivied childhood.  I am very interested in determining
her name.  The second wife, named Beele, was born about 1750 and died in
Memmelsdorf in 1822.  The six children were 1) Huenle NORDHEIMER (about
1778 - 1831 Memmelsdorf), married to Simon Maier LEBRECHT, 2) Meier
Wolf "Eisenmaier" NORDHEIMER (1781 - 1870 Memmelsdorf), married to Esther
Nathan STRAUSS of Zeckendorf, 3) Marx (Markus, Mordche) Wolf NORDHEIMER
(1783 - 1860 Memmelsdorf, married to Regina (Reichele) Hirsch BAYERSDORFER
of Forchheim, 4) an unknown daughter born about 1788, 5) Schmay Wolf
NORDHEIMER (1789 - 1820 Memmelsdorf), married 1. to Kehle Hayum BAERMANN
of Baiersdorf, and married 2. to Lea Hirsch BAMBERGER of Burgkunstadt, and
6) an unknown daughter born about 1792.  I am very interested in
determining who the two unknown daughters, numbers 4 and 6, were and their
families.  I am also interested in data on the other lines, or which I
currently have information on over 1000 descendants, but there are many
loose ends.  Markus and Regina were my great-great-great-grandparents.

Meier NORDHEIMER (number 2, above) had twelve children.  Three of them
named Marx (Marcus), Moses (Moritz), and Jakob moved to Hamburg and
changed their name to NORDHEIM, supposedly because there were other
NORDHEIMERs in Hamburg.  I am interested in determining who these other
NORDHEIMERs were and if they were relatives.  Among other things, this
branch found via the Nordheimstiftung, the Seehospital in Cuxhaven-
Sahlenburg, originally a children's tuberculosis hospital and currently an
orthopedic hospital. Descendants were involved with this at least until
1993.  Other children of Meier NORDHEIMER, who did not change their name

from NORDHEIMER to NORDHEIM, settled in New York City, Wuerzburg, and

Toronto, mostly in Toronto.  Branches have, of course, dispersed.  I am
interested in corresponding with anyone who can add to this.

Ralph N. BAER, Washington, DC   RalphNBaer@aol.com

Until 1835 the Jews of Memmelsdorf buried their dead in the old Jewish cemetery near Ebern. This is where I found the headstone for Wolf Schmay Nordheimer's first wife. The epitaph is badly worn but readable:

The name Nordheimer caught my eye because close family friends of my parents in Boston were Lothar Nordheimer and his wife Alice. We called them aunt and uncle, although we were not blood-relared. I just did some digging - Lothar was born in Leipzig on June 24, 1899; married Alice Hammerstein in Berlin on 10/17/1921; and died in Brookline, MA in May 1972. Hope this helps.
Myra Fournier
Bedford, MA
mjfourn@...

Ralph, in case this is of interest:
in my file is a Jette Nordheimer, b. 30 jun 1825 in Memmelsdorf; she died there 20 feb 1888; (I have no ancestors, and nothing more on the Nordheimer side, only for the Gunzenhauser side)
she married David Raphael Gunzenhauser/Gunzenhaeuser from Binswangen, son of Rabbi Isak Hirsch G. 1851 in Ebensdorf;
I have one son:
Moritz G. b. 8 aug 1852 in Memmelsdorf; d. 31 jan 1917 in Memmelsdorf;
married to Dina Hessdoerfer from Ottensoos. probably they had more children

Reuven Mohr
Israel

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Ralph N. Baer        RalphNBaer@...       Washington, DC