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Brewer and social activist
Dr Maciej Borkowski, Opole
Published: January 2001
The memory of righteous one’s achievements brings blessing – it was written in
obituaries after death of this citizen, with high credits for town and Jewish
community.
He was born in our town on November 4th, 1839. He was the son
of Heymann Pringsheim (died 1875), a brewer and pioneer of Opole cement
industry. Little Julius was growing up living in affluence. As a six-year-old
boy he was assigned to attend a Jewish, and then also to a protestant elementary
school. In 1849 he became a schoolboy of Opole grammar school On The Hill. After
two years of education he was sent by his father to the Berlin school of crafts.
In the middle of 1850s Heymann Pringsheim finally let his son supervise the
family business.
Beginning of Julius’ professional work was paused by military service. He
served in a local 63rd infantry division, called Children of Opole.
In 1864 Julius Pringsheim became a reservist, and from then on he could without
any further obstacles take up working at father’s side.
In March 1875 Heymann Pringsheim died suddenly. In his will he passed
brewery and other possessions to his sons. Inheriting such an enormous property
enabled Julius Pringsheim to work actively in town’s authorities and in Judaist
congregation.
1879 brought Julius Pringsheim an election to town’s authorities. This way
they gained an activist, a person very enterprising and full of invention. For
twenty years Julius Pringsheim was a member of town council, for eighteen years
a councilor not taking any rewards and Opole town’s senior alderman. In the
beginning of 1880 he came into authorities of Opole Jewish community. He
cooperated there with his competitor, but also a friend Siegfried Friedlaender.
After his death in September 1899 he took up the position of community chairman.
In Julius Pringsheim’s personal file preserved a diploma issued on
November 4th, 1899. On that day the authorities of Opole entitled him
the Town’s Senior Alderman.
(Stadtaeltester
der Stadt Oppeln).
In the justification it was written that this title was given to Pringsheim for
his long-lasting acts for well-being of Opole.
Last years of Julius Pringsheim life was filled with supervising of his
property (in 1895 the brewery, family business of Pringsheims, became a stock
company) and watching over issues of Opole mosaistic community.
Opole Jews had a marvellous chairman in Pringsheim. He cared for the whole
of community issues – he supported poor, watched over a funeral association,
took care of the cemetery, and activities of scholar organizations and clubs.
Similar to other wealthy Opole Jews, he did not skimp money on poor and those in
need no matter of what belief.
On the sixth of June 1917 Opole was shocked by the news about death of
Julius Pringsheim. All Opole newspapers were filled with obituaries dedicated to
him. It was written, that sudden death of Julius Pringsheim committed an
enormous gap, filling of which would certainly not be possible. The obituaries
emphasized the tremendous vitality and dedication of hoary brewer to community
and town causes. In one of the last memories he was bade farewell by a beautiful
sentence telling that memory after achievements of the righteous, brings
blessing.
Julius Pringsheim rested at Opole Jewish cemetery, after farewell by
crowds of town’s citizens of all beliefs. For buried was not only one of the
outstanding Jews of Opole, but also a man, that didn’t grudge Opole and all of
its citizens his strength and fortune.
Today it is quite an effort to find the grave of Julius Pringsheim. Along
with the entire necropolis it awaits a fast renovation.
Article is a reprint from a cycle "Walking through old Opole".
Gazeta w
Opolu (OPO) nr 84, 1999/04/10- 999/04/11 (with publisher’s permission).
Translation: Marcin Poznań. | 
