Cohn, Mathias (Matatia)

  General Notes:

A merchant and landowner. He was a member of the Dozor Bozniczy and a lso a member of the National Guard during the November Uprising. Alon g with his business partner, Rafal Glucksohn, he petitioned the Tsa r - unsuccessfully - for citizenship rights. He was one of the firs t Jewish landowners of the Kingdom of Poland. Mathias was also a memb er of the "German Synagogue" on Danilowixzowska Street (progressive sy agogue of the Haskala movement).

Marhias Cohn was a merchnat, leaseholder, and landowner. In 1833 he r eceived permission to own land, along with his business partner Rafa l Glucksohn. Mathias and Rafal were heavily involved in propinacja [t he production and sale of liquor]. In 1855 they signed a lucrative co ntract leasing an area comprising twenty-six villages, for twelve year s, from which they gained the revenues from the liquor trade.

During the November Uprising of 1830-31, Mathias Cohn joined the Natio nal Guard. This means he must have shaved his beard (unlike his broth er Dawid who belonged to the Civic Guard, and who would have kept hi s beard). From 1859 to 1861 he was a member fo the Dozor Bozniczy [Sy nagogue Inspection Committee] like his brother Dawid. He was a membe r of the "German Synagogue" on Danilowiczowska Street.

According to Ignacy Schiper in his book Zydzi Krolestwa Polskiego w do bie powstania listopodawego (1932), Mathias Cohn possessed "the larges t collection of Hebrew books in the country"

It is not known when Mathias Cohn died, but we know from his daughte r Ewa's statement to the polilce that Mathias was still alive in Apri l 1864.

Mathias married Szayndla (Szarlotta) Lubelska, daughter of Wolf Lubelska and Szyfra, in Dec 1818 in Warsaw, Poland. (Szayndla (Szarlotta) Lubelska was born about 1801 and died on Jun 1, 1859 in Warsaw, Poland.)