Samuel was born to Tsvi (Hirsch) and Hudes (Judith).
However, before Judith, Samuel was married to Breindel Nesling (Neschling). Samuel had half-siblings born to Hersch and Breindel and full siblings born to Hersch and Judith. Sadly, most of these siblings and half-siblings perished as babies or toddlers.
Of the 9 children born to Hersch and Breindel, 7 perished before reaching adulthood. They were:
- Samuel (1838-1841)
- Chaim (1839 – 1840)
- Moses (1844-1848)
- Sara (1845 -1846)
- Pessie Lea (1847 – 1848)
- Chana (1848 – 1849)
- Simche (1855 – 1855)
Known to survive were:
- Abraham ( b. 1841)
Abraham married Rachel Preczep according to their daughter’s marriage record. Note that the daughter went by the surname of Preczep meaning her parents had a religious marriage ceremony but not a civil one. According to the government Rachel and Abraham’s children were illegitimate and given their mother’s maiden name. Their daughter, Feige married Anschel Waldinger son of Marcus Rapp and Lea Waldinger in 1910. He also had his mother’s surname. (The marriage record was found on the Gesher Galicia website.)
- Nathan (b. 1851) – as of 3/1/2025, I can not find any information about Nathan so I have no idea if he really did survive past infancy.
The children born to Hersch and Judith who perished young were:
- Israel Moses (1857 – 1859)
- Jacob Joseph ( 1859 – 1899
The children who survived were:
- My great-grandfather, Samuel
- Rebecca (b. 1860) – as of 3/1/2025 I can find no record of Rebecca so I have no idea what happened to her or if she really did survive past infancy.
Why Was the Infant Mortality Rate in Brody So High in the 1800s?
Although Brody was an important trade hub, it had a large Jewish population who lived in densely packed areas with limited living space. Poverty was widespread and people often struggled to afford good nutrition, warm clothing and medical care.
Many homes lacked proper sewage disposal and because of the lack of clean water, personal hygiene was not the best.
The region experienced outbreaks of diseases such as typhus, dysentery, tuberculosis, smallpox, and cholera. These epidemics disproportionately affected infants and young children. Many relied on traditional remedies and community healers, lacking access to trained physicians and effective medical treatments. Barbers often performed the functions of doctors and dentist
The cold Galician winters, combined with inadequate heating and clothing, exposed infants to respiratory illnesses and other health complications.
Sadly, Galicia, of which Brody was a part, was one of the poorest regions in the Austrian Empire.
Even in wealthier parts of Europe, infant mortality rates in the early 19th century ranged from 150 to 200 deaths per 1,000 live births. In poorer, rural areas of Eastern Europe (including Galicia), mortality rates often exceeded 200 per 1,000 live births, sometimes reaching as high as 300 in particularly impoverished communities.
Sources
- Livi-Bacci, Massimo. A Concise History of World Population. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012
- Judson, Pieter M. The Habsburg Empire: A New History. Harvard University Press, 2016
- History of the Jews of Brody, Wikipedia
- ChatGPT, February, 2025, helped with the research when I asked “In the early 1800s in Brody, Austria / Poland (now Ukraine) what were conditions like in the Jewish area that caused so many babies to die?”
- JewishGen.org birth and death records for Brody
- GesherGalicia.org