Synagogue Vinkovci Synagogue Name Mavro Frankfurter Positions Rabbi Denomination Orthodox Judaism Residence Vinkovci, Croatia | Nationality Croatia Children David Frankfurter Organisation Vinkovci Gymnasium Role Rabbi | |
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Born 15 May 1875
Holesov, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Czech Republic) ( 1875-05-15 ) Parents David and Katerina Frankfurter Spouse Rebekka-Rivka (nee Figel) Frankfurter Died 1942, Jasenovac concentration camp | ||
Mavro "Moše" Frankfurter (1875–1942) was known Croatian and Vinkovci rabbi who was killed during the Holocaust at the Jasenovac concentration camp.
Frankfurter was born in Holešov, Czech Republic (then part of Austro-Hungarian Empire) on May 15, 1875 to David and Katerina Frankfurter. He was married to Rebekka-Rivka (née Figel) Frankfurter, with whom he had three children: daughter Ruth and two sons, David and Alfons (later Avraham). Frankfurter family lived in Daruvar where Frankfurter was a rabbi. On the eve of World War I he moved with his family to Vinkovci where he was appointed as rabbi, and later in 1914 as Chief rabbi. Frankfurter was fluent in German, Polish, Hebrew and Croatian. In Frankfurter household German and Hebrew was spoken. During the construction of Nova ulica (New street) in Vinkovci, Frankfurter built a family mansion (now street of Jurja Dalmatinca and street of Vladimir Nazor). From 1914 to 1941, in addition to the regular activities at the Jewish community of Vinkovci and Vinkovci Synagogue, Frankfurter worked as a Judaism teacher at the Vinkovci Gymnasium. In 1936 his son David assassinated Swiss branch leader of the German NSDAP Wilhelm Gustloff in Davos, Switzerland. Frankfurter hair turned grey overnight when he heard of the assassination. He visited his son in prison and asked him "... who actually needed this?". During World War II and the Nazi occupation of Vinkovci in 1941, Frankfurter was made to stand on a table while the German soldiers spat in his face, pulled out the hair from his long beard, and struck him with their rifle butts. Frankfurter and his wife were killed in 1942 by Ustaše at the Jasenovac concentration camp.