Babi’s mother Chana and her family

Braun & Kaufman

Kisvárda · Varannó (Vranov) · Csaholc · Szatmárnémeti

New research ·

Newly found records

An unnamed infant daughter of Ignácz Kaufman and Hani Szakmári (d. Varannó, 11 Oct 1887); Ignácz listed as an innkeeper of Varannó in 1892; József Braun’s 1922 engagement gives Aranka’s maiden name, Karfunkel (Likely). Confirmed — Varannó-district Jewish deaths 1887 · trade directory 1892 · Nyírvidék 1922
Three children of Sámuel Braun and Hani Heimlich — Regina (20 Oct 1884), Shimon (11 Mar 1886) and Matild (8 Dec 1887) — read in the original Kisvárda Jewish birth register; each names the parents. Raised from Likely to Confirmed. Moses Kaufman (20 Jun 1877), Fáni’s brother, read in the original Homonna-district register (father Ignatz Kaufman, mother Hani Szakmary): Confirmed. Confirmed — Kisvárda Jewish births 1884 no. 35, 1886 no. 17, 1887 no. 49 · Homonna-district Jewish births 1877 no. 62 (FamilySearch images)
Six people whose link was only Possible — Rachel, Leni, Shimon, Izrael (Sruly) and Juli Kaufman (1869 census household, no relationships given) and Rosie Braun (1851 marriage) — were moved off the tree to the open leads, because a person goes on the tree only when records prove every link. Possible — 1869 census, Tót-Kajnya · Kisvárda Jewish marriages 1851, entry 6
Adolf Kaufman, who married in New York in 1885, was a son of Ignácz Kaufman and Hani Szakmári (his marriage record names his mother “Szakmary”); he is Likely the Salamon Abraham of the 1869 census. Likely — New York City marriage records, 13 Dec 1885
Round 2 (Braun line): Géza Braun’s own Mauthausen prisoner file. He was prisoner no. 73364, admitted to Mauthausen on 13 Jun 1944; the camp’s death notice gives 18 Jan 1945 at the Melk subcamp (“Quarz”). Aunt Ilona’s household in Hajdúnánás, 1944: her husband Hermann Herbst (b. 1901, son of Malvina née Grosz) and their daughter Anna, Babi’s first cousin. Hermann survived: his 1945 registration card from Budapest is in the gallery. The 1948 death-declaration cards of Géza, Sándor and Jolán give the family’s last home as Csaholc. Confirmed — Arolsen Archives, 1.1.26.3, file 01012603 023.357 (documents 1374720, 1374721) · memorial records (items 5271007, 5271008, 5271009, 7348483, 6509676, 6542238, 6573125)
Correction: Chana’s eldest brother József Braun (b. 20 Nov 1897, Kisvárda) survived. He lived in Budapest in 1944, reached New York in 1948, was naturalized at Brooklyn with his wife Aranka (b. 1899, Napkor), appears in the 1950 census in Brooklyn with his son David, and died in Brooklyn in September 1986. Babi’s oral history says the same. An earlier victims-list match was another man of the same name. Confirmed — FamilySearch index records (New York passenger index 1948; naturalization records, Brooklyn, 4 Jun 1948; 1950 US census; Social Security Death Index) · Oral history interview with Chaya Rosner, interviewer Brad Zarlin, 2016, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, RG-90.063.1890
Round 7: Sámuel Egi’s household read in the original 1848 census of Kisvárda — 44, a teacher born in Poland, in Hungary since about 1817 and in Kisvárda since about 1829, with his children Antal (14), Háni (12) and Franciska (1). Antal and Franciska are now Confirmed. Márkus Braun and Liebe are not on any of Kisvárda’s 23 census pages that year. Confirmed — 1848 census of the Jews of Hungary, Szabolcs county, Kisvárda, rows 436–442 (FHL film 719825; FamilySearch DGS 007953483, image 323, 3:1:3Q9M-CS84-X9QW-L, original seen)
Round 5: Hani Kaufman, Ignácz’s sister, married Leopold Spitzer at Tótkajna in 1859 — the entry names her parents “Manes und Zipra Kaufman” (Confirmed). Czipora née Grünwald died at Tótkajna on 13 Nov 1876, aged 55, and Thóbe in July 1864, aged 21 (both Likely, originals read). Márkus Kaufman of Tótkajna is now on the tree as Manesz’s father (Likely; 25 Oct 2026). Confirmed — Varannó-district (Tótkajna) Jewish marriages 1851–1859, entry 196, 22 Feb 1859 (Prešov State Archive; FamilySearch, Slovakia Church and Synagogue Books, DGS 004406898, image 3:1:S3HY-DYV9-V5R, original seen; index record 1:1:6NMD-M7VM) · Varannó-district Jewish deaths 1876, entry 30 (FamilySearch, Slovakia Church and Synagogue Books, DGS 004407170, image 3:1:S3HT-D1ZQ-CW1, original seen; index record 1:1:6NMN-9WSR) · Varannó-district Jewish deaths 1864, entry 80 (FamilySearch, Slovakia Church and Synagogue Books, DGS 004406898, image 3:1:S3HY-DYV9-VZS, original seen; index record 1:1:6NMN-9R5T)
Fáni (Feige) Braun née Kaufman died in Iyar 5685 (late April 1925) and is buried in the Kisvárda Jewish cemetery, named “Feige daughter of R’ Yitzchak” — Likely. Hani Egi’s Hebrew name was Chaya Sara (Likely). Aba Braun’s 1868 original names his mother “Egi Hany”; Rosie Braun (1851 marriage, daughter of Marcus and Liebe) is Possibly József’s sister. Likely — Kisvárda Jewish cemetery burial list (typed list of names with Hebrew names and dates, list p. 11 = PDF p. 17, nos. [163] and [237]; published on the Kisvárda KehilaLinks pages, “Burial list of Names in the Kisvarda Jewish Cemetery”) · Kisvárda Jewish registers (FamilySearch images 3:1:3QS7-L9PH-3L4S, 3:1:3QS7-L9PH-3L3Q)
Moses Braun, born 8 Sep 1866 at Kisvárda to Josef Braun and Hany — Likely Nachman’s brother (original register entry). Lea Kaufman’s 1869 birth entry read in the original: parents Ignatz Kaufman and Hani Szatmári. Likely — Kisvárda Jewish births 1866, entry 250 (FamilySearch image 3:1:3QS7-L9PH-3L7P) · Varannó-district Jewish births 1869, entry 38 (FamilySearch image 3:1:S3HY-DYV9-264)
Fáni Kaufman’s parents: Ignácz Kaufman and Hani Szakmári (Varannó civil marriage, 10 Nov 1896); Fáni born 3 Oct 1876 at Porubka. Confirmed — Varannó (Vranov nad Topľou) civil marriages 1896, vol. 1 p. 8 no. 20 (Prešov State Archive, Vranov branch; JewishGen Hungary marriages index)
Fáni’s brothers and sister Lea, Simson, Moses and Márkus; Sámuel Egi’s children Antal and Franciska (1848 census). Likely — Homonna-district births; 1848 census, Kisvárda
József Braun’s wife Aranka (b. Napkor 1899) and their son David (“Dudu”), in Brooklyn in the 1950 census. Confirmed — 1950 US census, Brooklyn ED 24-510, p. 73

Leads still being checked

These are possibilities only. They are not on the tree until a record proves them.

Possible: Hermann Herbst’s parents were Jakab Herbst and Malka (Malvina) née Grosz of Kossuth utca, Hajdúnánás (Likely, on his card); other Hajdúnánás Herbsts on the 1944 list may be his brothers and their families; not linked. Possible

Braun and Kaufman of Kisvárda

Babi’s mother Chana and her family — Kisvárda, Csaholc and Szatmárnémeti

Babi’s mother, Chana — Janka, Hani — was born in Kisvárda, in north-eastern Hungary, on 19 May 1899, in the family’s home on Csillag utca. Her civil birth entry names her father, Nachman Braun, a master tailor of 25 born in Kisvárda, and her mother, Fáni Kaufman, 27, of Varannó (Vranov nad Topľou). Her brothers and sisters followed: József (1897), Ilona Helena (1901), Géza (1902), Bella Rivka — “Aurelia” in the register — (1905), Eszter (1910), Jolán (1911) and Sándor (1917). By the 1920s the Brauns lived at Csaholc, in Szatmár county; Chana married Sender Freund and moved to Satu Mare.

Nachman Braun, born in Kisvárda on 2 July 1873, was the son of József Braun, also a master tailor (c.1819–1897), and Hani née Egi (c.1836–1899), whose father Sámuel Egi taught religion in Kisvárda; it was Nachman who reported his mother’s death in June 1899, two weeks after Chana’s birth. József’s father was Márkus Braun of Kisvárda. In 1919 the Kisvárda weekly lists “Mrs Nachman Braun” first among the donors to the Jewish women’s soup kitchen (Likely).

Nachman Braun died on 21 October 1921 (19 Tishrei 5682) and is buried at Kisvárda; Feige died in April 1925. In 1944 his children died: Bella Rivka Kohn with her husband Lajos and their children Reizel and Yosef (Nándor and Feigl Eva perished in 1945), Eszter Fischer and her children Feiga and Tzvi, Jolán Brach with her husband David and their children, and Sándor — and, at Auschwitz on 27 May 1944, Chana herself. Géza perished at Mauthausen on 18 January 1945. Bella’s son Martin survived, and so, according to the family, did Ilona and her husband Hermann Herbst of Hajdúnánás.

Chana’s eldest brother, József, survived. He was living in Budapest in 1944, and Babi stayed with him there that year. He reached New York in 1948, was naturalized at Brooklyn with his wife Aranka (born at Napkor in 1899), was living in Brooklyn with his wife and son at the 1950 census, met Babi when her ship came in in September 1950, and died in Brooklyn in September 1986 — Confirmed by the American records and by Babi’s own account.

Confirmed Chana (Janka) Braun’s birth, Kisvárda, 19 May 1899 (civil act 134): father Nachman Braun, master tailor; mother Fáni Kaufman of Varannó.Kisvárda civil register of births 1899 (Hungary civil registration; FamilySearch record 1:1:6NVB-5Z88)

Confirmed Nachman Braun’s birth, Kisvárda, 2 July 1873 (entry 317): father József Braun, mother Chaje.Kisvárda Jewish register of births (FamilySearch image 3QS7-L9PH-3LW8)

Confirmed The birth of Chana’s sister Bella Rivka (“Aurelia”), Kisvárda, 17 March 1905.Kisvárda civil register of births 1905, act 94 (FamilySearch record 1:1:6NVB-GL86)

Likely “Braun Nachmanné” — Mrs Nachman Braun, Babi’s grandmother — heads the donors to the Kisvárda Jewish women’s soup kitchen, February 1919.Felsőszabolcsi Hírlap (Kisvárda), 23 Feb 1919, p.2 — Hungaricana (Hungarian public collections library) — public domain

Confirmed Bella Rivka Kohn née Braun, Babi’s aunt.Courtesy of the Hall of Names memorial archive (a memorial record, item 14272658)

Confirmed The Kohn family of Szatmárnémeti — Bella Rivka Kohn née Braun with her family.Courtesy of the Hall of Names memorial archive (a memorial record, item 14272659)

Confirmed The former synagogue at Csillag utca 5, Kisvárda (1983) — the street where Chana was born.Fortepan / Gazda Anikó, photo 141170 — CC BY-SA 3.0

The Braun family

Márkus Braun — Kisvárda
József Braun, c.1819–1897 × Hani Egi (daughter of Sámuel Egi)
Sámuel (1856), Lina (1858), Schasi (1865), Aba (1868)
Nachman Braun, 1873–1944 × Fáni Kaufman
József (1897–1986, Brooklyn) × Aranka, Chana (Janka) 1899–1944 × Sender Freund, Ilona (1901), Géza (1902), Bella Rivka (1905), Eszter (1910), Jolán (1911), Sándor (1917)

Labels — Confirmed, Likely, Possible — exactly as the research gives them. Tap any picture to enlarge it.

Generations

The direct line, generation by generation. Tap a name for dates, label and notes.