The 1891 Galician Business Directory

22,456 Records

Business Directory · Galicia · Austro-Hungarian Empire

Background

The 1891 Galician Business Directory — Kaufmännisches Adressbuch für Industrie, Handel und Gewerbe, XIV. Galizien — published by L. Bergmann & Comp., Wien IX Universitutmetr. 6 — contains over 25,000 names. This database was transcribed from a photocopy of this directory, found at the British Library, call number [PP 2440.BB C295].

This database contains over 20,000 names from over 1,000 different towns throughout Galicia.

Fields Recorded
Surname
Given Name
Town Name
Occupation (original, in German)
Occupation (translated into English)
Caveats and Search Tips

As the Directory contained many original errors in spelling (both cities and surnames!), and surely many data entry errors (as it was difficult to read), the compiler offers the following suggestions:

  • Use the Daitch-Mokotoff Soundex search option for your search.
  • If you don’t find your surname, try your town names. However, keep in mind that this Directory reflects the town names in 1891, when Galicia was in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (German language). These names will be different from the town names used in the JewishGen Family Finder, which reflect modern names (Polish and Ukrainian languages). For example, “L’viv” is written in this database as “Lemberg”, “Kraków” as “Krakau”, “Ivano-Frankivsk” as “Stanislau”, etc.
  • A few terms are in German: for instance, erben = heirs (as in Stein & erben); witwe = widow, sohne = son.
  • Some small towns have adjacent towns listed (for instance, Rzecsyca bei or bez or p = near Tarnow).
  • Company surnames are reversed, so if “Kramer & Lindner” was listed in the directory, then “Lindner & Kramer” was added to the database.
  • Given names are included as they appeared, often abbreviated with no period, as in “Abr”, “Abrah”, or “A”.
Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks go to Jeff Cymbler for finding and photocopying the directory; Petje Schroeder for translating the occupations; and Warren Blatt and Michael Tobias of JewishGen for adding the Soundex and other technical assists.

And a special thanks to Janet Kisz of England. Originally the database contained only 50% of the entries, as only those names that “sounded” Jewish had been included. For various reasons, many wanted the entire database entered. Janet, who has an interest in Polish and Ukrainian genealogy, volunteered to enter the remaining 8,000 names to the database.

“So here is the updated and complete 1891 Galician Business Directory... from Biała to Husiatyn ...from the Puszcza Solska to the Bieszczady... the length and breadth of Galicia. Happy hunting!” — Phyllis Kramer, Wilton, Conn. & Savannah, Georgia, May 2000.

Data copyright ©1999, 2000, Phyllis Kramer.

Searching This Database

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