Jews of Bratislava		Simon Michael Pressburg 1656-1719

These 2 images were captured during a visit to Bratislava on 5 May 2023. They were part of a multi-panel display of the Jews of Bratislava which may be found on the old city wall facing the castle (a major road leading to the 'UFO' bridge over the Danube runs between the city wall and the castle). The panels arise from a forthcoming publication 'Who was Who - Jewish personalities in the swirl of history of Slovakia'. The display was implemented with the support of the Government of Slovakia via its 2017 Culture of National Minorities Programme.

The movement of Simon Michael Pressburg to Vienna in 1705 is noted, as is an 1707 signature and a 1717 agreement. It is not known whether after becoming Court Jew in Vienna his proposal to the Emperor for a Bank in Bratislava was accepted, but his relatives lived in Bratislava long after he died in Vienna in 1719. Judah Low Pressburg (aka Baron Lyon de Symons) was born in Bratislava in 1741.

The town of his birth is given as Raba (cf Raab elsewhere). The above data does not help us much in unravelling the apparently chaotic naming of his sons. The naming of his daughters appears conventional - Semmele follows the known name of maternal grandmother while Sarah presumably follows the paternal grandmother (both of whom presumably died before the birth of the corresponding child). The multiple appearance of the name Michael is confusing - the only simple case is Abraham Simon Pressburg #2502; Mayer #717 follows the maternal grandfather (who thus died before 1683); while Michael Lazar Pressburg #1655 who is discussed above follows the paternal grandfather who thus died before 1687. Baruch - the son our research suggests - could have been a 1st son, being born before the paternal grandfather Michael died and of course before 1683 when Mayer was born; alternatively he was a stepson brought to the marriage by Hannah Menzels.