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What we are learning and what still has to be understood. Who were our ancestors in Vilkaviskis ?
Conversations with Dr. Ruth Leiserowitz Kfar Ruppin 17/2/2024
I was fortunate to host Dr. Leiserowitz and her husband Michael over a very wet weekend.
We looked a census material covering 4 periods
Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth till 1792
Prussian New East Prussia 1792 – 1805
Duchy of Warsaw 1807 – 1815
Russian Administration but documents are still written in Polish 1815 -1840
We had before us the following census:
1764/5 Polish Census of Vilkaviskis – this census was according to households with many servants /tenants and few occupations are listed
1784 Polish census of Vilkaviskis – again according to households but with a few occupations.
1798 Prussian Census – here with age of birth and professions
Then there is a break until the “cattle and horse lists of 1818 and 1820 – these again are without surnames.
1819 Tax Lists for Jewish Vilkaviskis
Only in 1826 do we get the first tax list with both surnames and occupations.
What conclusions can be drawn from the records over this 60 year period.
Ruth has raised the following points:
1] The 1764 records show that many of the inhabitants had servants this does not appear in later lists suggesting a decline in the financial state of the community – this was caused by the decline of the Lithuanian nobility as many Jews where employed by them in the administration of their estates.
2] The war years of 1804 -1816 saw a general decline in the affairs of most of the community with the exceptions of those involved in supplying materials to the armies.
3] There appears to have been a policy of the Prussian government to reduce the number of Jews holding licenses for running taverns outside of Vilkaviskis and desire to concrete the Jews in the town. This matter warrants further investigations.
4] Despite this the lists of 1818 – 1820 show the numbers of cattle and horses owned by the Jews of Vilkaviskis.
5] Despite these lists, its not easy to establish the surnames appearing in the 1826 lists to those of earlier lists. To date Ruth has only managed a few connections for example.
If you are interested in seeing any of these census please let me know at salinger@kfar-ruppin.org.il