Years of Triumph

YEARS OF TRIUMPH

The thirty years from 1870 to 1900 were prosperous for the Jarays. The family enjoyed influence and success. By the 1890’s, the Jaray children began making their place in society, marrying and starting families of their own.

It began in 1892, with Sigmund and Mathilde's daughter Gisela, aged 20, marrying 31 year- old Budapest merchant Joseph Stricker, son of Salomon Stricker and Rosalie Ries. Their first child Franz Stricker was born on February 4, 1897, and was followed by another son Ernst on July 18, 1900.

Julie, Sándor and Therese’s second daughter was next. In 1897 she married the merchant Karl Seifert, son of Johann Heinrich Seifert (Seifert-Billard) and Rosa Bauer. Their first child Emma Seifert was born on January 23, 1898. On January 13, 1900 Friedrich was born, followed by Elisabeth on May 13, 1902.

In 1900, Sándor and Therese’s eldest daughter Antonie married Karl Bayer. Their first child Gertrude was born on February 5, 1901, followed by Ernst(May 20, 1902).

Shortly after, Sándor’s only son Karl, also an architect, married Valerie, mother of Maria and Hans Jaray. Later he was married to Lili Marberg. Maria was born on April 20, 1901. Sandor “der Alte”, as Sigmund’s brother was now affectionately called, became a grandfather for the seventh time as his son Karl had a son Hans born on June 24, 1906. Hans later became one of Vienna's best-known actors. Hans went to New York during the Holocaust where he became a matinee idol and made films with Henry Fonda, Billy Wilder and Merle Oberon. Hans eventually returned to Vienna and now rests in an honor grave with a key to the city of Vienna.

Sigmund’s son Karl married a year later. He and Emma Fuchs, daughter of Ferdinand Fuchs and Ernestine Schnabel, had a summer wedding on August 11, 1901, and their first boy Richard was born on December 3, 1902. Francis (Franz Ferdinand), their second son, was born on March 11, 1906.

Celebrations were interrupted in 1902 with the death of Mathilde, Sigmund’s wife. She died unexpectedly, and currently rests in the Jewish cemetery at the edge of town. Sigmund was 62 at the time.

In 1903, Sigmund’s eldest son Max married Elsa Brand, daughter of Jakob Brand and Babette Käufler. A year later, October 28, 1904, their son Peter arrived, followed by a sister Mathilde on September 11, 1908, named after her grandmother.

In 1905 Sigmund’s two sons Sandor and Alfred married, as well as Adolf’s son Felix.

Sandor Jr. married Karoline von Nagy-Buck, and their son Stephan was born March 1, 1906.

The youngest son Alfred, an electrical engineer and inventor, married Fanny Hirsch, daughter of Carl Hirsch and Pauline Bing at a huge ceremony April 9, 1905. Pauline Bing was sister to Sam Bing, whose art gallery "La Maison de L'Art Nouveau" in Paris is credited with giving the Art Nouveau movement its name. Carl Hirsch and Sam Bing were brothers in law and business partners in Sam Bing & Co. In addition to importing Asian artworks, and having among other lines the exclusive European Tiffany distribution, they owned a button factory (before the invention of Zippers). Fanny Hirsch's sister Else was married to Baron Felix Pollack-Parnegg, director of Hermann Pollack & sons. By this time, according to a letter by Herbert Jaray in 1962, the families were so influential a separate edition of the paper was published on the marriage of Alfred and Fanny depicting family members on both sides in gossip columns and caricatures. Alfred and Fanny had two sons, George born in London April 24,1906, and Herbert in Vienna February 5, 1909.

Adolfs’s son Felix, married Mimi Pollack, and they had an only son Walter, born in 1906.

In the same year, Adolf’s oldest son Karl, a professor of reinforced concrete at the University of Prague, married Grete Hirsch, Fanny’s cousin. They had three children, Mariedl born 1907, Rudolf born 1909, and Karl born in 1919.

In 1914, Adolf and Therese’s youngest son Paul married Olga Jehle. Like his cousin Alfred he was an engineer. He made a name for himself and is written up extensively as an inventor and designer in the automotive and aviation fields. Paul's aeronautical designs are still used today in both cars and airplanes. They had three children, Hansi born February 1,1915, Peter born June 12, 1918 and Werner born September 15, 1920.

Adolf's son Rudolf and his daughter Juliette both died very young of T.B., Sándor’s (“der Alte”) third daughter Karoline also died too early in 1913.

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