Morgenthau Family Collection 1839-1968

This collection contains genealogical data, official documents, and a diary.Lazarus Morgenthau was born in Kleinwallstadt, Bavaria in 1815. His father, Moses, was born in Gleusdorf ("Kleisdorf") in 1773. Lazarus became a tailor and married Babette Guggenheim (born 1826) of Hürben. Later he developed a successful business in cravats which he sold at fairs. A younger brother, Mengo, went to San Francisco in 1850 and sent back funds for the establishment of a cigar manufacturing business for export to the United States. Lazarus moved to Ludwigshafen and eventually to Mannheim where his son Heinrich (Henry) was born. The cigar business prospered until the US imposed a high tariff on cigars. Lazarus made various attempts to find other markets and enterprises, but none proved successful. In 1866 the entire family migrated permanently to New York.digitize