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Frankenburger, Wolf

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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German deputy; born at Obbach, Bavaria, June 8, 1827; died at Nuremberg July 18, 1889. While a student at Würzburg he took part in the political agitation of 1848, and soon obtained a reputation as a public speaker and a friend of the people. He began to practise law in Nuremberg in 1861; in 1869 he was elected to the Bavarian Diet, of which he remained a member until his death. For one term (1874-78) he was a member of the German Reichstag, taking as such an especially active part in the discussions preceding the legal reforms of that period.

Frankenburger, after the beginning of the Franco-Prussian war (1870-71), strongly advocated the union of the southern and the northern states of Germany; and when, after the conclusion of peace, his ability and rectitude secured for him the position of Liberal leader, he threw all the weight of his influence against the sectionalism of the Bavarian Center and in favor of a strong central government. He was especially well qualified to deal with financial questions, and rendered important services as regular reporter on the army budget for the Bavarian House of Representatives, for which services the king rewarded him with the Michaelsorden I. Class.

Frankenburger omitted no opportunity to champion the rights of his coreligionists. In 1880 he was instrumental in abrogating the taxes which, in many parts of Bavaria, the Jews had been compelled to pay to pastors and mayors. These taxes had many curious names, as "Beichtgroschen," "Schmattgeld," and "Wölfelsteuer," and were principally of the nature of surplice-fees ("Stoyagebühr") and New-Year's gifts. It was also on his motion, which received the unanimous vote of the Chamber of Deputies, that the sum of 5,500 florins for the betterment of the poorly endowed rabbinical offices of Bavaria was included in the budget of April 19, 1872. By this measure at least the semblance of state consideration for Jewish worship was obtained.