Month: April 2012

April 26, 2012

Van Gogh

During the last century, Hirschlands owned a number of Van Goghs.  Over time, they were sold or donated to museums. As one family member said, “I know that various family members sold art at auctions either because they had capital needs or keeping the art became very costly. Just insuring a valuable work today can cost tens of thousands per annum.”

This site has attracted the attention of authors and museums with questions about work formerly owned by Hrrschlands. One author, working on a catalog of Van Gogh work, has connected all the art below to the Hirschland family. To our knowledge, none of these works are still owned by family members. Most are in museums.

April 21, 2012

Rotterdam Resistance

from Annemarie den Hartog,
Frits Hirschland’s cousin

My uncle Herbert Hirschland and his brother Rudy came to the Netherlands before the war started because of the rise of Adolf Hitler. Frits’ father, my Uncle Herbert, hide from the Germans in both my grandparents’ houses. He hid in The Hague (in a basement). My grandfather (Leen Boender, my father’s dad), was a member of the resistance in Rotterdam. He helped Jews with false passports and food stamps (ration coupons?). Uncle Herbert lived in their house in 1943/45, and before that he he lived in a chicken house.

Rotterdam after the 1940 Blitz. Photo from Wikipedia.

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April 8, 2012

Mystery Hirschlands

1865 Emigrants

Our research left some loose ends, and raises the question about whether the Steinham Hirschlands are the only ones who adopted this name. We have two clues: one of a group of Baptisms near Berlin in the late 18th century and another of a group of Hirschlands who emigrated to the US in 1865. We can’t seem to trace either one to the Steinham family, which leads us to believe that the name may have been used by others. We are looking for answers. Continue Reading

April 4, 2012

A Hirschland Hallmark Moment

contributed by Michael & Danie Reisner


My grandmother’s (Elizabeth) father, Wilhelm Marx, owned a substantial printing concern in Munich. My grandfather Hans worked in that business.

In addition, Hans’ father-in-law, Solomon Archenhold, had owned a factory in Wetzlar/Ehringshausen, Germany, that manufactured meat grinding equipment for butchers. In the first world war, the factory was turned into a munitions factory. Continue Reading

April 2, 2012

World War II Marine

Compiled from notes by Judy Lanskey

Judy is a niece by marriage and was raised by Robert George Stagg, née Hans Georg Hirschland (1921-1970), a son of Dr. Fritz Hirschland. Judy has shared these recollections with us:

My uncle was in the Marines, I believe, until he was 29 and although I was quite young when he told us these stories, I know that he wanted to be a career soldier. Because he was German, the military sent him to Japan instead of Germany and he had his back broken there. He knew some of the guys that are in the statute of Iwo Jima. He was given a silver star and a purple heart and an honorable discharge. It was after his discharge that he attended NYU. (Note that Hans is the only Hirschland we found a record of who served in the US Military during WWII. Charles Hannam, née Karl Hirschland, served in the Britsh military, but was also kept out of the European theater.) Continue Reading