The Seeman Family| The Natt Family | Origin of the Natt Family | Life in Frankfurt
Life in the United States | Bernie and Bobby | Julius Natt Branch

Langenlonsheim is a village located along the river Nahe about 50 miles west of the city of Frankfurt. The most important product of its agriculture are grapes and the wines produced therefrom.

The earliest record of Jews having settled there was about the year 1550, with the head of the first family arriving in the village bearing the name of Benedikt. As was the custom of the time amongst Jewish families, people were known by their first name only, sometimes followed by the name of their father. Last names were not used until early in the nineteenth century. The firstborn son always carried the name of the grandfather, therefore the name Benedikt showed up again and again on the tax rolls. It therefore can be assumed with certainty that the individuals with this name are direct descendants of the Benedikt who was listed in 1674, and their names have shown up on the tax records in the following years: 1722, 1743, 1769, and 1790. During this last year a Benedikt Meyer Nadan (Nathan) was listed.

In the year 1808, when the Rhineland became French after the conquest by Napoleon, a law was passed that all Jews had to adapt a last, legal name. The name Natt was taken as last name by Benedikt Meyer Nadan - derived from Nadan.(Nathan).

Other than the information derived from the tax records, not much is known, about our ancestors, we were told when we were children that most of them were dealers of live-stock, until it became legal for Jews to own land and farm same, usually growing grapes for wine.

The occupation by the French army in 1797 brought freedom to the Jewish community, granting them full equality with their Christian neighbours, allowing them to farm the land and work in any trade or profession desired. Some of these liberties were revoked when Napoleon abdicated in 1814, but were partially restored after the 1848 revolution in Germany, with full equality mandated by law in l869 under the chancellor Bismarck, when any kind of discrimination against Jews was outlawed.

At this time there were 11 Jewish families in the village, with the Natt family amongst the most prominent. The small community was thriving, with a synagogue containing 50 seats, and a classroom, having been built. For the next 65 years, until Hitler- came to power in 1933, life there was idyllic, the Natt family prospered and members of our family were prominent in all civic endeavours. The Natt winery was allowed to operate until 1938, when all the remaining Jews were driven out. For a description of what happened this year,

Today there are no more Jews in Langenlonsheim, the ruins of the burned out synagogue were razed in 1959. When we went there in 1984, no one there could even tell us the location of the Jewish Cemetery nor did most people even know that it ever existed.