Source: https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/hodmezovasarhely/Wodianerfamily.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 14:05:56+00:00

Document:
The WODIANER (VODIANER) family moved from Moravia to Bács megye around the mid-1700s. Family tradition maintains that they were originally from Spain. The family developed two main branches along professional lines--one branch traded in cereal, wool and tobacco, the other branch dealt in books and magazines.
The WODIANER family was very prominent in Hódmezõvásárhely, as well as in the nearby town of Szeged. Members of both branches also established prominent businesses in Pest.
The grain merchant branch of the family, with very few exceptions, converted to Christianity.
The founder of the book merchant branch, Fülöp WODIANER (1820, Hódmezõvásárhely - 1899, Budapest), played a significant role in creating business-political publications and was one of the great publishing businessmen of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. He learned the printing trade in Pest, and worked in print shops in Pozsony and Vienna. In 1842 he became the printing director of a newspaper and in 1848 he was the printer in charge of Government publications as well as of the mint. In Pest in 1856 he opened a print shop and in 1861 founded the journal Magyarország ("Hungary") then in 1867 the Magyar Ujság ("Hungarian News"). He also created the Magyar Néplap ("Hungarian Folk News") featuring items of interest to peasants, small tradesmen and artisans. In 1874 bought a publishing house. His company grew to become a most influential newspaper and book publishing house, printing many Jewish titles and doing much to promote the Hebrew language and the Jewish press in general. Towards the end of his life, he and his sons received titles of nobility. One son, Arthur WODIANER (1860-1921) joined the company and established his name publishing school textbooks.
2) Arthur WODIANER v. VASARHELY (1860, Pest -?) married Olga WOLFINGER in 1890 in Pest.
3) Hermina (1891, Pest - ?) married Vilmos KANITZ (1880-1940) in 1918.
3) Juliska/Julianna WODIANER v. VASARHELY (1896-?) married first Lajos Rikard LEFEBOR (1886-1925) in 1919, then Dr. Erno SZEGO (1885-?) in 1926.
2) Ilona/Helene/Ilka/Henrietta WODIANER v. VASARHELY (1863, Pest -1940) married Arnold/Albert WAIZNER in 1883 in Pest.
3) Aranka WAIZNER (1884, Pest - ?) married Gyõzõ WEISZ (1869-?) in 1904.
2) Irma WODIANER v. VASARHELY (1865, Pest -?) married Miksa/Max BERGER (surname changed to BARTHA) in 1888 in Pest.
3) Jozsef Sandor BERGER/BARTHA (1896-?) married Vanda HAJDU (1907, Jaszbereny -?) in 1927.
3) Farkas/Ferencz BERGER/BARTHA; renounced Jewish faith in 1915.
2) Hugo WODIANER v. VASARHELY (1868, Pest -?) married Mariska HIRSCHLER (1878-?) in 1897.
3) Lidia WODIANER v. VASARHELY (1901-?) married Henrik LOIDIN (1901, Zagreb -?) in 1932.
Another member of the WODIANER family, journalist and stenographer Soma WODIANER (1861, Hódmezõvásárhely - 1918, Budapest; surname changed to FORRAI), helped to popularize the Gabelsberger-Markovits stenographical system in Hungary. An excellent teacher of stenography, he was also the founder and president of the Association of Stenographers and published many articles and textbooks on the subject.
2) Moritz/Zsiga WODIANER (1852, HMV - 1923) married first wife <unknown>, divorced, then married Rezi NEUMAN (1856, N. Csath -?) in 1880 in Eger.
2) Regina WODIANER (1852, Mezo-Kovesd -?) married Jakob RAUCHWERK (1828-?), a widower, in Pest in 1879.
2) Samuel WODIANER (1861-?), married Leonora BACK (born in Nadszeg, Pozsony megye) in 1892 in Pest.
3) Hilda WODIANER (1892, Pest-?) married Bruno HEILIG (1888, BP -?) in 1914.
3) Julia/Julianna WODIANER (1897 -?) married/divorced her first husband, then married Dr. Geza FILEP (1897, Dunafoldvar -?) in 1932. She also converted the same year to the Reform Christian faith.
3) Janos WODIANER (1899-?) married Katalin/Livia/Eva SZEKELY (1910-?) in 1934.
2) Adam/Asher/Antal WODIANER (1864-1945, Budapest), converted to Roman Catholicism in 1883; married Terezia Ernestina TANDLER.
2) Ilona WODIANER (1870, Ujpest-?); converted to Roman Catholicism in 1892.

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