Mavro Frankfurter

Rabbi Mavro Frankfurter
Rabbi Mavro Frankfurter around 1941
Personal
Born	(1875-05-15)15 May 1875 Holešov, Margraviate of Moravia, Austria-Hungary
Died	1942 (aged 66–67) Jasenovac, Independent State of Croatia
Religion	Judaism
Nationality	Croatia
Spouse	Rebekka-Rivka Figel
Children	3, including David
Parent(s)	David and Katerina Frankfurter
Denomination	Orthodox Judaism
Position	Rabbi
Synagogue	Vinkovci Synagogue
Position	Judaism teacher
Organisation	Vinkovci Gymnasium
Residence	Vinkovci

Mavro "Moše" Frankfurter (1875–1942) was a Croatian rabbi from Vinkovci who was murdered during the Holocaust at the Jasenovac concentration camp.

Moshe (Moritz) Frankfurter was born in Holešov, Czech Republic (then part of Austria-Hungary) on 15 May 1875 to David and Katerina Frankfurter. He was married to Rebekka-Rivka Figel, 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 the Frankfurter household German and Hebrew was spoken. During the construction of Nova ulica (New street) in Vinkovci, Frankfurter built a family mansion (now Juraj Dalmatinac Street and Vladimir Nazor Street). 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's hair turned grey overnight when he heard of the assassination. He visited his son in prison and asked him "... who actually needed this?" During the 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 murdered in 1942 by the Ustashas at the Jasenovac concentration camp.

Bibliography

• Šalić, Tomo (2002). Židovi u Vinkovcima i okolici. Osijek - Zagreb: Židovska općina Osijek - Kratis. ISBN 953-6742-01-2.
• Gilbert, Martin (1987). The Holocaust: A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World War. New York City: Holt Paperbacks. ISBN 978-080-500-348-2.