ESCAPE

FROM

Luxembourg
FAUSTO GARDINI
WHATS IN A JEWISH NAME?
- DRAFT
JACKSONVILLE, AUGUST 2015

Escape From Luxembourg

WHATS IN A JEWISH NAME?

In a previous publication I explored the difficulties for researchers and genealogists to locate and
track immigrants from Luxembourg across various archives, such as baptismal records, passenger lists, census
enumerations, passports applications, etc., both in Luxembourg and the United States of America1. The main
issue is the confusion resulting from the tri-lingual environment particular to the country of Luxembourg. A
baptismal record may log a Nicolas (French) as first name while a later document for the same individual
may show the first name as Nikolaus (German) and locally the individual may well be known as Clos or
Neckel(Ltzebuergesch) and recorded as Nick (English) in US census records. Luxembourg having been
historically sparsely populated, in earlier centuries many families and individuals settled there from both
neighboring countries, Belgium, France and Germany, as well as from more remote regions such as
Piedmont, Tyrol and Switzerland, leading to many family names of foreign origin becoming, over time,
familiar local names.
Unsurprisingly, whichever power ruled over Luxembourg it imported own laws and practices as
concerns first and patronymic names. During World War II the Germans were particularly obsessive to
eradicate existing French sounding first names, commonly used in Luxembourg, such as: Andr, Camille,
Jean, Louis, Lucien, Marcel, Ren, etc. to be replaced by a German equivalent: Andreas, Kamill, Johann,
Ludwig, Luzian, Marzell, Renatus, etc. An ordinance2 listed acceptable 201 Germanic first names for males
(Examples: Adalbert, Alarich, Baldwin, Dietgen, Iwein, Knut, Widukind, etc.) and 175 for females (Examples:
Adelgard, Altrud, Borghild, Gerburg, Gislinde, Liebgunde, Walfriede, etc.). The Germans obsession went so
far as to change family names too, with patronyms as Bour changed to Bauer, Dupont to Brckner, Paquet to
Paket, Pierret to Stein, etc.
The Luxemburger Wort newspaper (under German control) published on Monday, October 6,
1941, the provisions applicable to Luxembourgs Jewish population including the criteria defining who is a
Jew3. (Translation)
EVERY JEW HIS FIRST NAME
NEW LEGAL PROVISIONS FOR NAMES BY THE CHIEF OF CIVIL ADMINISTRATION

Chapters: WHATS IN A NAME? LUXEMBOURGERS AND THEIR FAMILY NAMES - LUXEMBOURGERS AND THEIR FIRST
NAMES LUXEMBOURGERS AND THEIR NICKNAMES in: LUXEMBOURG ON MY MIND (ISBN 9781461143611),
Jacksonville, 2011,
2 August 28, 1940: Auswahl gebruchlicher Vornamen Vornamen deutschen oder germanischen Ursprung. (Selection
of common first names - first names of German or Germanic origin).
3 Luxemburger Wort, Monday, October 6, 1941
Jedem Juden seinen Vornamen
Neue namensrechtliche Bestimmungen des Chefs der Zivilverwaltung
Seit der Einfhrung der reichsrechtlichen Vorschriften auf dem Gebiete des Personenstandes-und Eherechts in
Luxemburg drfen einem neugeborenen Juden zwecks Scheidung der jdischen von der nichtjdischen Bevlkerung nur
jdische Vornamen beigelegt werden.
Um schon jetzt die erstrebte vollstndige und klare Scheidung auf namensrechtlichem Gebiet herbeizufhren, hat der
Chef der Zivilverwaltung entsprechend der im Reich geltenden Regelung in der 2. Verordnung zur Durchfhrung und
Ergnzung der Verordnung vom 31. 1. 1931 ber die Aenderung von Vor- und Familiennamen bestimmt, da ab 1. 10.
1940 alle Juden luxemburgischer Staatsangehrigkeit die ihren Wohnsitz oder gewhnlichen Aufenthalt im In- oder
Ausland haben, und staatenlose Juden, die hier ihren Wohnsitz oder gewhnlichen Aufenthalt haben einen zustzlichen
jdischen Vornamen annehmen mssen, und zwar mnnliche Personen den Vornamen Israel und weibliche Personen
den Vornamen Sara, soweit die Juden nicht bereits einen der nachfolgenden aufgefhrten Judennamen fhren.
Als mnnliche Vornamen gelten (See list above)
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Since the introduction in Luxembourg of the Reichs legislation in the field of civil and matrimonial
law in order to distinguish the Jewish population from the non-Jewish population newborn Jews
may be given only Jewish first names.
In order to bring about already now the aspired complete and clear discrimination in the legal field,
the head of the Civil Administration has in accordance with the 2nd ordinance, applicable in the
Reich for the execution and completion of the ordinance of January 31, 1931, on the amendment
about first and last names which provides that effective October 1, 1940, all Jews of Luxembourg
nationality who are resident or ordinarily reside in the country or abroad, and stateless Jews, who
are domiciled or habitually reside here must assume an additional Jewish name, for males the first
name Israel and for females the first name Sara, in so far as the Jews do not already have one of the
following listed Jewish names.
The following names are valid first names for males:
Abel, Abieser, Abimelech, Abner, Absalom, Ahab, Ahasja, Ahasver, Akiba, Amon, Anschel, Aron,
Asahel, Asaria, Ascher, Asriol, Assur, Athalja, Awigdor, Awrum; Bachja, Barak, Baruch, Benaja,
Berek, Berl, Boas, Bud; Chaggai, Chai, Chajin, Chamor, Chananja, Chanoch, Chaskel, Chawa; Dan,
Denny; Efim, Efraim, Ehud, Eisig, Eli, Elias, Elihu, Eliser, Eljakim, Elkan, Enoch, Esau, Esara,
Ezechiel; Faleg, Feibisch, Feirel, Feitel, Feiwel, Feleg; Gad, Gdalso, Gedalja, Gerson, Gieo, Gideon;
Habakuk, Hagai, Hemor, Henoch, Herodes, Hekiel, Hillel, Hiob, Hosea; Issac, Isai, Isacher,
Isboseth, Isidor, Ismael, Israel, Itzig; Jachiel, Jaffe, Jakar, Jakusiel, Jecheskel, Jechiel, Jehu, Jehunda,
Johusiel, Jeremia, Jerobeam, Jesaja, Jetino, Jiftach, Jizchak, Joab, Jochanan, Joel, Jomteb, Jona,
Jonathan, Josia, Juda; Kainan, Kaiphas, Kaleb, Korach; Laban, Lazarus, Leew, Leiser, Levi, Lewek,
Lot, Lupu; Macho, Maim, Malchisua, Maleachi, Manasse, Marchochai, Mechel, Mamachem, Moab,
Mochain, Mordeschaj, Mosche, Moses; Nachschon, Nachum, Naftali, Nathan, Naum, Nazary,
Nehab, Nohemia, Nissim, Noa, Nochem; Obadja, Orew, Oscher, Osias; Peisach, Pichas, Pinkus;
Rachmiel, Ruben; Sabbatai, Sacher, Sahlum, Sally, Salo, Salomon, Salusch, Samaja, Sami, Samuel,
Sandel, Saudik, Saul, Schalom, Schaul, Schinul, Schmul, Schneur, Schoachana, Scholem, Sebulon,
Semi, Sered, Sichem, Sirach, Simson; Teit, Tewele; Uri, Uria, Uriel; Zadeck, Zedekia, Zaphanja,
Zeruja, Zewi.
Valid female names are:
Abigail, Baschewa, Beile, Bele, Bescha, Bihri, Bilha, Breine, Briewe, Brocha; Chana, Chawa,
Cheiche, Cheile, Chinke; Deiche, Dewaara, Driesel; Egele; Faugel, Feigle, Feile, Fradehen, Fradel,
Frommet; Geilchen, Gelea, Ginendel, Gittel, Gile; Hadasse, Hale, Hannach, Hitzel; Jachet,
Jachewad, Jedidja, Jete, Jezabel, Judis, Jysle, Jyttal; Keile, Kreindel; Lans, Leie, Libsche, Libe, Liwie;
Machle, Mathel, Milkele, Mindel; Nacha, Nachma; Peirshe, Pesschen, Pesse, Pessel, Pirle; Rachel,
Rause, Rebekka, Rechel, Reha, Reichel, Risel, Reitzke, Reiczsche, Riwki; Sara, Scharna, Scheindel,
Scheine, Schewa, Schlmche, Semche, Simmche, Slowe, Sprinze; Tana, Telze, Tirze, Treibel; Zerel,
Zilla, Zimle, Zine, Zinora, Zierel, Zorthel.
(Translation)
A Jew is an individual who is descended from three or four full-Jewish grandparents, regardless of
personal religious affiliation. A half-Jew is considered a first degree Jew if he was a member of the
Jewish religion by September 16, 1935 or admitted later, or if he was married by September 16,
1935 to a Jew (Jewish woman respectively) or who was subsequently married to a Jew (Jewish
woman respectively); or was born in a marriage of one (full or three-quarter) Jew contracted after
September 16, 1935, or was fathered out of wedlock by such a Jew and was born after July 31,
1936.
Whenever it is expected in legal and business transactions to specify the name the Jew who does
not already have one of the above Jewish first names must add to his previous name the first name
Israel or Sara unabridged.
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The adoption of the additional first name is to be notified before October 31, 1941, to the registrar,
who has certified the birth and the marriage of the Jew, or, if the certification took place outside of
Luxembourg, to notify the registrar of the City of Luxembourg, as well as the local police authority
of the place of residence. For an individual who is incapacitated and for persons with limited
competence the legal representative is required to report the information4.
The tragic fate of young Moses Hersch Miotelka illustrates how his name is recorded over his too
short lifespan. He was born on June 15, 1926, in Wocawek, Poland, son of Minsk-born tailor Kalmann
Miotelka (b. December 30, 1896) and Lodz, Poland-born Hanna Berkowicz (b. August 2, 1902). A sister
Feiga was born in Wocawek on January 1, 1924 and a second sister, Dora, was born in Ettelbrck,
Luxembourg on March 16, 1931. Dora Miotelkas figures on the list of 280 Jewish children in Luxembourgs
schools compiled by the Luxembourg authorities5 following the promulgation of the Ordinance about
measures to eliminate the Jewish influence on public life in Luxembourg of September 5, 19406. Her brother,
who attended the Lyce Classique in Diekirch, does not figure on the list, but was likely expelled from the
school in compliance with the October 29, 1940, directive banning all Jewish children from attending public
or private schools in Luxembourg. He is logged in the schools rolls under the name Henri Miotelka. The
Miotelka family is recorded in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum archives as deported on
October 16, 1941 to Lotz (which the Germans renamed: Litzmannstadt), Poland. The father, Kalmann
Miotelka is listed as having died in the Ghetto of Lodz on June 14, 1942; a baby girl, Jenta Miotelka, born on
April 17, 1942, died in the Ghetto on July 7, 1942; Feiga Miotelka died on May 18, 1943. Moses Hersch
Miotelka is listed as Heinrich Miotelka and also as Hersz Miotelka. No date of death is shown on his record
and the record of his mother, Hanna Miotelka, ne Berkowicz. Sister Dora was not found in the museums
records. It is presumed that the whole family was murdered. The last survivors of the camp where herded to
Auschwitz in August 1944 as the Soviet Army closed in on the area.
[Sources of documents consulted to compile Moses/Hersch/Henri/Hersz/Heinrich Miotelkas short biography:
Andr Heiderscheid, Book Review Umbra Mortis Operti in Die Warte Thursday, October 6, 2011.
Archives nationales du Luxembourg (ANLux), Ministre de lInstruction publique, Enseignement primaire
(1817-1944), IP-1557: Instituteurs et coliers non-aryens.
Fdration des Enrls de Force (www.ons-jongen-a-meedercher.lu)
LAssociation de la Gnalogie Juive (www.genami.org)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (www.ushmm.org)

Original German text:

Jude ist, wer von drei oder vier volljdischen Groelternteilen abstammt, ganz gleich welcher Religion er selbst angehrt.
Als Jude gilt der jdische Mischling I. Grades der am 16. 9. 35 der jdischen Religion angehrt hat oder danach in diese
aufgenommen wurde; oder der am 16. 9. 1935 mit einem Juden (einer Jdin) verheiratet war oder sich danach mit einem
Juden (einer Jdin) verheiratet hat; oder aus einer Ehe mit einem (Voll oder Dreiviertel) Juden stammt, die nach dem 16.
9. 35 geschlossen wurde; oder aus dem auer ehelichen Verkehr mit einem solchen Juden stammt und nach dem 31. 7.
36 geboren wurde.
Sofern es im Rechts- und Geschftsverkehr blich ist, den Namen anzugeben, mu der Jude, der nicht bereits einen der
oben aufgefhrten jdischen Vornamen besitzt zu seinen bisherigen Vornamen den Vornamen Israel oder Sara
ungekrzt hinzufgen.
Die Annahme des zustzlichen Vornamens ist bis zum 31. 10. 41 dem Standesbeamten, der die Geburt und die Heirat
des Juden beurkundet hat, oder, falls die Beurkundung auerhalb Luxemburgs erfolgte, dem Standesbeamten der Stadt
Luxemburg, sowie der Ortspolizeibehrde des Aufenthaltortes zu melden. Bei geschftsunfhigen und in der
Geschftsfhigkeit beschrnkten Personen ist der gesetzliche Vertreter zur Anzeige verpflichtet.
5 Archives nationales Luxembourg, Ministre de lInstruction publique, Enseignement primaire (1817-1944), IP-1577:
Instituteurs et coliers non-aryens.
6 German: Verordnung ber Maahmen zur Beseitigung des jdischen Einfluss auf das ffentliche Leben in Luxemburg
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Arthur Mller in Ettelbrck 100 Joer Stad 1907-2007 Opfer des Holocaust der in Ettelbrck ansssigen oder
kurzzeitig hier beheimateten Juden.
Publication: De Reider No. 51, July 2011: Sentier Urbain Touristique.]

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