Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-04
GOETHE Ar 4 FIRE.
How He Helped tAc Jews of FraI
fnrf PM nmf IL Inn a a rrn Ii m.

How He Helped tAc Jews of FranlS-
fort Put out CONFEDERATION.
In connection with the celebration OF the
Goethe anniversary which have just taken
place in most OF the large cities of Germany,
an incident is recorded by the Jewish Chron
ice OF an act of kindly herosm on the part
OF Goethe toward the Jews OF Frankfort His
connection with the Jewish quarter of his
native city Is too well known to any ac-
quainted with the details of his life to need
any relation here; readers OF Lewess Life
of Goethe" may find there the significant
fact that the young poet spent so much time
in the Judengasse that he acquired so full
knowledge of "Yiddsh" as to venture on
writing a short play in the dialect. 1t is,
therefore, clear that he must have numbered
many friends in that part of the city, and
it would afford matter of no inconsiderable
interest to trace some OF these friendships
During the early years of the eighteenth
century Frankfort was the victim of several
serious outbreaks OF fire, in the course OF
which hundreds OF houses were destroyed
and many families left destitute In con-
sequence of the great misfortunes the city
experienced terrible scare whenever smoke
was seen or smelt, and custom arose to
announce even the smallest outbreak by
blowing of horns, ringing of bells, beating
of drums. Gathering OF firecars, and all that
was available TO attract attention in the dead
of night, quite out OF proportion to the dan
ger. The youthful Goethe received early i'm
pressons OF these records, which sank deep
into his poetic and imaginative brain. But
that he was practical as we'll as imaginative
the following incident bears testimony:
On May 30, 1774-a Sunday-at 2 o'clock
of the night, a fire broke out in the Ju-
dengasse by which twenty houses were de-
stroyed. 1t was the rule to leave the work
OF extinction and assistance to the com
mon people," but Goethe knew no rank or
creed when human life was in danger Not
withstanding, or surely forgetting for the
time. that he was the son of a Kaiserlicher
Rath and himself a doctor at law, though
he wore fine clothes and silk stockings, he
rushed into the throng and Joined the army
of helpers. His superior bearing and posi-
tion did good work. He soon managed to
bring order into the band OF extingushers.
who up to this time had been running in
each others way by bringing the full buck
cts and returning with the empty ones
through the same hole, which had been
made in high wall separating the Juden-
gasse from the Acknowledgements. Goethe
showed them a better and quicker way
through a narrow lane. At once the poor
Jews rushed with their few rescued posses
sions along this same lane and were greeted
by the heartless mob with shouts Of derision,
and the water which was so sorely needed
to extinguish the fire was turned upon them.
few words from the young Goethe put
an end to all this demeanor.
Goethe's action during the distress be-
came the talk of the town and many OF the
poor Jews, who did not even know his name,
spoke in loud praises Of the young gentle
man protector who had saved them from
the mob as well as the fire. One of these,
who inhabited the house "Zum Plug" found
after the fire number OF silver "Kreuzer,"
which bv reason of the heat had been melted
into a lump. In memory of this disaster
this lump in which some of the Kreuzer
we're still distinctly visible, and on which
some of the stamping could be traced. be-
came a sort OF heirloom In the family. 1t
was not till many years afterward that a
grandson of this old inhabitant of the Ju-
dengasse, who happened to be a schoolfel-
low OF Ferdinand Killers, learned from the
"Dichtung und Wahrheit" who was the
young gentleman hero to whom his an
cestor owed a debt OF gratitude. The relic
OF coins is in possession of the family at
the present time.