Tight Geographic Concentration (in Poland) - As almost every community had locksmiths, one would think that when Jews had to adopt family names Schlussel would be among them throughout the Yiddish-speaking world. But this is just not the case. Up until World War II there was an extremely tight grouping of the Schlissel/Schlussel clan in the area around Tarnobrzeg. In addition to Tarnobrzeg itself, Schlussels were found in Rzeszow, Majdan Kolbozowa, Tarnow, and a few other towns and cities. In Warsaw there are virtually no records of Schlussels, and even in Krakow, the "big town" of the region, the number of Schlissel/Schlussel records is minimal.
Limited Number of Branches - Information has been collected from virtually all those in Israel who carry the Schlissel/Schlussel name, and perhaps 70% of the 200 Schlissel/Schlussel households located in the U.S. Yet the number of overall branches is not very high. And it would not be difficult to construct some theoretical models that would link them together.
Evidence to the Contrary
There are many people with memories from Tarnobrzeg, and it seems to me that if the Schlissels/Schlussels were one family, it would be common knowledge. But I have not heard that from anybody, nor is there any mention of it in the Tarnobrzeg Memorial Book.
Obstacles to Knowing with Certainty
In Poland, the Schlissels/Schlussels were not residents of the main cities, and the major efforts to access archival material do not, and are not likely to, reach the smaller archives for a long, long time.
One of the major problems is the discrepancy between "official" names, and names that were in common use. This was true in Poland, where Yitzhak David might have been referred to as David, or Dov, and is even more of a problem when Americanization sets it. Laibush in Poland may be Louis in Detroit, and Mordechai Baruch was in fact Max, and Hirsch became Harry The problem of "dual names" and "Americanization" are quite widespread.
Marriages in our small shtels were frequently not registered with the civil authorities, and in such cases children carried the mother's family name. So many Schlussels carry that our due to a female ancestor. (There were also a few cases where parents apparently registered with the authorities after some of their children, but before others, were born. The result: children of the same parents carried different family names.
Through personal efforts Gayle Schlissel Riley acquired some archival material from Poland, but because of confusion about names, it is not always possible to know to whom it refers.
At least 150 adult Schlissels/Schlussels were victims of the Holocaust.
Where to from Now?
There are still some individuals who have promised family tree information but have not yet delivered.
There will be follow-up with those American Schlissels/Schlussels who have not yet responded. (There can still be rich veins. Less than 2 weeks ago I received a report, put together by a professional genealogist, about one of the central Schlussel units.)
Despite #4 above, additional effort needs to be put on analyzing the archival material (about 100 birth records, and material from the 1880 census in Tarnobrzeg.) that is available.
Polish archival records - as noted, it is unlikely that the major Jewish organizations active in accessing records will reach material about our ancestors. As Gayle has demonstrated, personal efforts have borne fruit. That is a lesson that hasn't been lost on me, and when collection from the living Schlussels, and analysis of what is in hand is complete, it will be time to tread that path again.
What About You?
It is hoped that those of you who are interested in this project will make the effort to look through the various branches, and determine if you can make any ties.
Those of you who have relatives who may know more than you about your own family - please contact them and find out what you can.
If you know Schlissels/Schlussels, ask them if they know about this project. If they don't, please ask them to contact me. I may be reached via email at arnie@schlissel.org.
