The Ranis Family from Gross-Zimmern and Darmstadt
(Ancestors of Alice Scherwin‘s mother Gertrude Levy, née Ranis)
First Generation :
1. Hayum / Joseph Chajim Ranis / Rahnes, he married Sutsch Ranis. Hayum and Sutsch Ranis had three children between 1798 an 1804, one on them was:
+ 2. Mordechai / Morsche Ranis, born 25.09.1799.
Hayum and Sutsch Ranis lived in Gross-Zimmern since 1811. Sutsch Ranis died on 26.05.1833 in Gross-Zimmern. She is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 216. Hayum Ranis died on 19.02.1837 in Gross-Zimmern.
Second Generation :
2. Mordechai / Morsche Ranis, born 25.09.1799. He married on 25.11.1839 in Gross-Zimmern Gertraude / Treitchen Ehrenfeld, born about 1806 in Gross-Zimmern, daughter of Lion Ehrenfeld (born about 1773, he died 31.03.1869 in Gross-Zimmern, he is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 236 at the age of 96 years) and his wife Hannchen, née Heymann (she died on 14.10.1859 at the age of 81 years). Mordechay and Gertraude Ranis had six children:
+ 3. Friederike / Rike Ranis, born about 1840 in Gross-Zimmern
+ 4. Esther / Elise Ranis, born about 1843 in Gross-Zimmern
+ 5. Heymann / Heimann Ranis
+ 6. Fanni Ranis, born 01.06.1848 in Gross-Zimmern
+ 7. Levi Ranis, born 09.03.1852 in Gross-Zimmern
+ 8. Gustav / Gerson Ranis, born 05.01.1855 in Gross-Zimmern.
Mordechai Ranis died on 14.06.1865 in Gross-Zimmern, he in buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 916. Gertraude Ranis died on 19.11.1863 in Gross-Zimmern, she is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 289.
Third generation :
3. Friederike /Rike Ranis, born about 1840 in Gross-Zimmern, she was married on 12.12.1866 in Gross-Zimmern to Samuel Rothschild, born 18.11.1838 in Eppertshausen. Samuel Rothschild dealed with textils. Friederike and Samuel Rothschild had a son :
9. Jakob Rothschild, born 18.01.1877 in Eppertshausen, he was a butcher. He died 07.09.1906
in Eppertshausen, he is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave
no. 621.
Friederike Rothschild died on 27.09.1881 in Eppertshausen. She is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 277. Samuel Rothschild married a second time Jettchen Gutmann, born about 1840 in Offenthal, daughter of Ascher Gutmann. Jettchen Rothschild died on20.10.1901 in Eppertshausen, she is buried in the Jewish cemetrry of Dieburg, grave no. 569. Samuel Rothschild died on 19.02.1925 in Frankfurt/Main, he is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 779.
4. Esther / Elise Ranis, born about 1843 in Gross-Zimmern, she was married on 29.06.1870 in Gross-Zimmern to Raphael Stoerger, born about 1842. Esther / Elise Stoerger died on 30.10.1896 in Gross-Zimmern. She is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 394. Raphael Storger died on 21.02.1898 in Gross-Zimmern. He is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 530.
5. Heymann / Heimann Ranis, he married first Karolina Rothschild, born about 1846 in Zwingenberg, daughter of Loeb Rothschild and his wife Marianna Blumenthal. Heymann and Kartolina Ranis had three children:
10. Isidor Ranis, born 17.02.1877 in Gross-Zimmern, he died 17.02.1877 at the age of 5 weeks.
11. Rega Ranis, born 14.03.1878 in Gross-Zimmern, she died 05.11.1878 at the age of 7 months.
12. Adolph Ranis, born 24.01.1880 in Gross-Zimmern, he died 16.02.1880 at the ge of 3 weeks.
Karolina Ranis died on 21.08.1880 at the ge of 34 years in Gross-Zimmern. Heimann Ranis married a second time Minna Reiling, born about 1854 in Auerbach, daughter of Daniel Reiling and his wife Jette, née Mayer. Heimann and Minna Ranis had three children:
13. Ida Ranis, born 17.09.1882 in Gross-Zimmern, she died 26.09.1889 at the age of 7 years.
She is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 501 „ein zartes und
vergnuegliches Maedchen“ (a gentle and happy girl). Her death was indicated at the registry
office by Levi Ranis.
14. Louis Ranis, born 19.05.1884 in Gross-Zimmern, he died 05.06.1884.
15. Minna Ranis, born in July 1885 in Gross-Zimmern, she died 30.04.1886 at the age of
10 months.
Minna Ranis died on 28.12.1885 in Gross-Zimmern at the age of 31 years, she is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 388. Heimann Ranis married a third time in 1887 in Gross-Zimmern Hedwig Sommer from Frankfurt/Main. Heimann and Hedwig Ranis had a son:
16. Ernst Nathan Ranis, born 03.09.1890 in Gross-Zimmern
17. Lyon Ranis, born 09.09.1892 in Gross-Zimmern, he died 07.10.1892 at the age of 4 weeks.
6. Fanni Ranis, born 01.06.1848 in Gross-Zimmern. She was married to Daniel Heimann. Fanni and Daniel Heimann lived in Biblis. Daniel Heimann died on 01.09.1922. He is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Alsbach, grave no. 1836. Fanni Heimann died on 06.06.1938 in Frankfurt/Main, she is buried on the Jewish cemetry of Alsbach, grave no. 1837.
7. Levi Ranis, born 09.03.1852 in Gross-Zimmern, „Levi Ranis was a very religious man who earned his living by slaughtering meat the Kosher way. He died when my mother was a teenager of natural causes.“ (Alice Scherwin, e-mail from 27.02.2019) Levi Ranis married on 29.03.1906 at the age of 54 years in Darmstadt Auguste Wertheimer, born 03.04.1866 in Messel, 39 years old, daughter of Isaak Wertheimer (he died 06.05.1904 in Merzhausen) and his wife Made Metzger (she died on 17.02.1912 in Merzhausen at the age of 84 years). Levi and Auguste Ranis lived in Darmstadt, Schwanenstrasse 2 since 1907, from 1909 on Mathildenplatz 4. Levi Ranis was a merchant, in the addressbooks since 1924 is written that he was a Haeutehaendler (dealed with skins and furs).
Levi and Auguste Ranis had a daughter:
+ 17. Gertrude Ranis, born 28.03.1908 in Darmstadt.
In the addressbook from 1927 Levi Ranis‘ widow is listed on Mathildenplatz 4. So Levi Ranis might have died about 1925/26. Auguste Ranis died on 21.03.1937.
8. Gustav / Gerson Ranis, born 05.01.1855 in Gross-Zimmern. He had a manufactory and dry goods store in Kreuzstrasse 2. He married first on 22.02.1882 in Gross-Zimmern Babette Goldschmidt, born 25.04.1860 in Gross-Zimmern, daughter of Baer Goldschmidt and his wife Sarah. Babette Ranis died on 28.05.1885 in Gross-Zimmern, she is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Gross-Zimmern, grave no. 513. Gustav Ranis married 1887 a second time Sarah Metzler, born 31.10.1863 in Klein-Heubach. Gustav and Sarah Ranis had six children:
+ 18. Traudchen Ranis, born 25.02.1888 in Gross-Zimmern
19. Minna Ranis, born 25.01.1890 in Gross-Zimmern, she died 13.02.1892 at the age of 19
days.
20. stillborn, female, 03.07.1892 in Gross-Zimmern
+ 21. Max Ranis, born 06.02.1894 in Gross-Zimmern
+ 22. Ludwig Ranis, borm 16.06.1896 in Gross-Zimmern
23. Ernst Ranis, born 09.03.1906 in Gross-Zimmern, he died at the age of 9 hours.
24. Leopold Ranis
25. Jakob Ranis
26. Frieda Ranis, she wa married to Karl Hess.
Gustav / Gerson Ranis died on 21.07.1909 in Frankfurt/Main, he is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 654. Sarah Ranis died on 18.02.1936 in Gross-Zimmern, she is buried on the Jewish cemetery of Dieburg, grave no. 854.
Leopold Ranis, Jakob Ranis and Frieda and Karl Hess could flee with their families into the USA and to South-America.
Fourth Generation :
17. Gertrude Ranis, born 28.03.1908 in Darmstadt. She emigrated in 1936 into the USA, New York. She was married to Wilhelm / William Levy, born 07.09.1914 in Melsungen, son of Leopold Levy and his wife Paula, née Mosheim. Gertrude and William Levy had two daughters:
+ 24. Marion Levy, married Wassinger
+ 25. Alice Paula Levy, born 22.01.1952.
William Levy died during a visit in Germany in Hinterzarten on 18.06.1969 at the age of 55 years.
18. Traudchen /Gertrud Ranis, born 25.02.1888 in Gross-Zimmern. She was married on 02.12.1907 in Gross-Zimmern to Leopold Hammerschlag, born 03.02.1878 in Harmuthsachsen, son of Daniel Hammerschlag and his wife Gutchen, née Levi. Traudchen / Gertrud and Leopold Hammerschlag lived in Harmuthsachsen, they had three children :
26. Daniel / Theodor Hammerschlag, born20.08.1909 in Harmuthsachen
+ 27. Alice / Liesel Hammerschlag, born 06.02.1911 in Harmuthsachsen
28. Gustav Hammerschlag, born 26.08.1913 in Harmuthsachsen.
Leopold Hammerschlag died on 25.11.1934 in Harmuthsachsen. Gertrud Hammerschlag moved on 15.10.1936 with her daughter Alice to Kassel Lutherstrasse 9. Both were deported on 07.09.1942 to Theresienstadt and from there on 19.10.1944 to Auschwitz.
21. Max Ranis, born 06.02.1894 in Gross-Zimmern. He took part in WW I. Since 1925 he was a lawyer in Darmstadt, he had an office in Wilhelminenstrasse 35 (today Peter-Gemeinder-Strasse 35) and lived in Riedeselstrasse 18. He married Bettina. Max and Bettina Ranis had two sons:
+ 29. Peter Ranis, born 1936 in Darmstadt
30. Gustav Ranis.
In November 1938 he was arrested in Buchenwald and in January 1939 he got Berufsverbot (official debarment from his occupation). In July 1939 he emigrated into the USA. Bettina Ranis emigrated into the USA with his sons Peter and Gustav in 1941. Max Ranis died on 18.12.1943 in Dabury, Connecticut. Bettina Ranis died in 1947.
22. Ludwig Ranis, born 16.06.1896 in Gross-Zimmern, he took over his father‘s store in Kreuzstrasse 2. He married Alice Suess, born 10.07.1904 in Herne. Ludwig and Alice Ranis lived in Gross-Zimmern, they had a daughter:
31. Margrit Ranis, born 01.07.1930 in Gross-Zimmern
The family moved in 1938 from Gross-Zimmern to Darmstadt Hochstrasse 42. In 1940 Ludwig Ranis was accused of bribery and arrested. From 06.06.1941 till 17.06.1941 he was arrested in Dachau and from there deported to Gross-Rosen, where he was murdered on 06.03.1942. Alice Ranis was deported with her daughter Margrit on 25.03.1942 to Piaski / Lublin, where Margrit Ranis died, Alice Ranis was deported and murdered in Sobibor. In 2016 Stolpersteine were put for them in Darmstadt Hochstrasse 42.
Fifth Generation :
24. Marion Levy, married Wassinger. Marion Wassinger has a son:
32. William (Billy) Wassinger.
25. Alice Paula Levy, born 22.01.1952. She is married on 29.10.1972 to Mark Scherwin. Alice Paula and Mark Scherwin have two children:
33. Russell Wade Scherwin, born 15.05.1975
34. Lori Alanna Scherwin, born 29.06.1978.
27. Alice / Liesel Hammerschlag, born 06.02.1911 in Harmuthsachsen. She moved with her mother on 15.10.1936 to Kassel, Lutherstrasse 9. Both were deported on 07.09.1942 from Kassel to Theresienstadt and from there on 19.10.1944 to Auschwitz.
29. Peter Ranis, born 1936 in Darmstadt, he flet with his mother Bettina Ranis and his brother Gustav in 1941 over Cuba into the USA to his father. He studied and became professor for political science at the City University of New York. In 2016 he came with his family to Germany and attended the Stolperstein ceremony for his uncle Ludwig Ranis and his family.
Sources :
www.lagis-hessen.de – Hessian Vital Records
– Jewish Gravesites
www.bundesarchiv.de/gedenkbuch/directory.html.de – Suche im Namensverzeichnis
https://dfg-vk-darmstadt.de/Lexikon_Auflage_2/Stolpersteine_Liste_sortierbar.html
www.darmstaedter-geschichtswerkstatt.de/themen/j-dische-spuren/Stolpersteine
Namen und Schicksale derJuden Kassels 1933-1945. Ein Gedenkbuch. Kassel 1986.
https://Kobra.bibliothek.uni-kassel.de/bitstream/urn.../SchicksaleDerJudenKassels.pdf
Researched and compiled by
Hans-Peter K l e i n Melsungen, February 2019
Nachtrag:
Zu folgenden Daten habe ich keine weiteren Informationen gefunden:
Ranis, Blümchen, Ehefrau des Jakob Ranis, verstorben 18.10.1852 oder 29.10.1858,
Jüdischer Friedhof Dieburg, Grab Nr. 284
Ranis, Max, Fellhändler, heiratet 1902 Betty Bendheim wohnhaft in Groß-Zimmern,
Nachtrag auswärtige Eheschließung 4/1902
In Babenhausen gab es eine Familie Ranis christlichen Glaubens