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The Original Surname of Zsa Zsa Gabor's Family

Very few people, if any, know much about Zsa Zsa Gabor's paternal side of the family. I had previously conducted research on Zsa Zsa's maternal side of the family several years ago (Article 1, and Article 2). The marriage record of Zsa Zsa Gabor's parents yielded the necessary information to continue researching further back on the paternal side of her family. Not many know that her family's surname was not originally Gábor, and that her father changed his surname to assimilate and become more Hungarian. The entire family was Jewish.

The marriage of Farkas Miklós Grün and Janka Tilleman occurred on 13 September 1914 in Budapest, District VII. As determined from previous research, Janka was born 30 September 1896 to Jónás Hers(ch) Tilleman and Chawe Feige Reinharz. Farkas Miklós Grün is listed as a merchant who was born 19 September 1881 to the late Salamon Grün and Rozália Kluger. Notes were later recorded on the marriage record explaining that Farkas Miklós Grün changed his surname to Gábor in 1916 (document number 174292/1916, Belügyminisztérium) and his given name to Vilmos in 1917 (document number 852911917/XI, Polgármesteri Hivatal). While conducting further research into Vilmos' family, I located at least three siblings:

Czeczilia Grün

Czeczilia, much like her nieces and sister-in-law Janka, was married and divorced several times. Her first marriage was to a previously divorced man 15 years her senior named József Weisz. They were wed on 02 August 1908 in Budapest, District IX. He was a merchant born on 06 May 1869 to Jakab Weisz and the late Rozália Diamantstein. Czeczilia was born 22 June 1884 and her father Salamon had already passed away by the time of her marriage. The marriage was dissolved ten years later in 1918.

Czeczilia's second marriage was to a metal-spinner's assistant named Miksa Lichtig, on 01 May 1921 in Budapest, District IX. He was born on 27 November 1886 to Jakab Lichtig and the late Rozália Lefkovics. The marriage was dissolved eleven years later in 1932.

Czeczilia passed away the next year on 06 December 1933. She is listed as the former wife of Miksa Lichtig and a fruit merchant, residing at Közraktár street 10 in Budapest, District IX. She passed away from psychosis in Budapest, District I, at Hieronymi street 1.

Róza Grün

Róza was was married to Ernő Keszler on 26 May 1914 in Budapest, District IX. She is listed as being born on 04 July 1885 and residing in Budapest, District IX, at Csarnók place 3. Ernő was born on 31 July 1886 to Móricz Keszler and Háni Brüger, both having passed away prior to this marriage. He was a waiter and resided in Budapest, District VIII, at Teleky place 9. It appears a family member named Jakab Keszler, who was a witness to the marriage, was also residing at the same address as Ernő. The other witness, Károly Fodor, was Róza's neighbor. Nothing further is known about Róza at this time.

Lajos Grün

Lajos is the youngest sibling I have found, having been born on 07 August 1894 in Budapest. He was married to Erzsébet Izabella Dinner on 07 October 1925 in Budapest, District VII. Lajos was a merchant residing in the same district at Rákóczi street 6. Erzsébet was born on 31 August 1904 in Budapest to Mózes Dinner and Chaja Pinia Rohatyu, and was residing in the same district at Dohány street 22. According to the later recorded notes on his marriage, Lajos changed his surname from Grün to Gábor in 1933 (42296/1933 III, Belügyminisztérium).

The death record of Lajos states that he died at noon on 08 August 1945. He was a jeweler and a resident of Budapest, District V, at Báro Aczél street 3. His death is recorded as occurring in Budapest, District V, at Szent-István boulevard 30 and because of a gunshot to the head. Considering everything that was going on in Europe at the time, it's rather tragic to think that Lajos was killed 7-8 months after the liberation of the Hungarian Jews in Budapest (occurred between January and February of 1945). I'm certainly curious to know more surrounding Lajos' unfortunate death and why he was shot.

Comments

  1. Great job! I added the info to her Geni tree. http://www.geni.com/people/Zsa-Zsa-Gabor/6000000007323625365

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Nich! You wrote: "Czeczilia was born 22 June 1884 and her father Salamon had already passed away." So, who is the father of Lajos, born on August 07, 1894?
    Janos Kocs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It further states that "her father Salamon had already passed away by the time of her marriage". :)

      Delete
  3. This was very helpful! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My Hungarian Jewish Grandfather (maternal surname Bohrer, paternal surname Altkorn) had told my father that he was a cousin of the Gabors. I haven't done any serious genealogy, but Zsa Zsa's death today (z''l) piqued my curiousity a bit

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is an extensive family three on Geni.com
      Click on: https://www.geni.com/family-tree/index/6000000007323625365
      and see if you grandfather is included. Good Luck

      Delete
  5. As a child in the late 1940's and early 50's, I lived #10 Kazinczy Street in the 7th district of Budapest. I remember on most Sunday mornings an elderly gentleman came to the rear courtyard and (as it was customary there) shouted up to the 3rd floor: "Keszlerné!" (Mrs. Kessler). Upon which a woman appeared shouting back: "Mindjárt jövök!" (I'll be right there) and the two were off on their usual Sunday walks. Years passed by when my mother came for a visit and saw all the hoopla about the Gabor sisters. She reminded me about those Sunday AM wake up calls, that the elderly gentlemen was the father of the Gabor sisters taking his sister Roza out for their usual Sunday walk. I am aware that this is rather insignificant, but felt the need to share my early childhood memory of the Gabor family in view of Zsazsa's passing.

    ReplyDelete

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