L. Posen Furniture

Lazarus Posen Witwe (Germany, 1869-1938) Berlin Jugendstil silver mounted glass bowl, marked "Posen" and with German hallmarks for Berlin, the 800 silver tracery frame composed of na...

Lazarus Posen Witwe was unique among German silver manufactures in that its owner and principal director was a Jewish woman. The Jewish Posen firm was founded in Frankfurt, Germany in 1869 by Brendina Wetzlar, the widow of Lazarus Jacob Posen, a silversmith and retailer of Polish descent. Under the widow Posen’s leadership, the firm became the largest supplier of Judaica in the late 19th century. Her son Jacob L. Posen joined the firm by 1880 and by 1900, the company’s large staff of chasers and engravers were producing some of the finest silver in the country. They received a royal warrant in 1903. In the 20th century the firm was under the direction of Brendina’s grandsons Jakob, Hermann, and Moritz Posen. In 1938 the company was forcefully closed and looted. Tragically, the Jewish owned Posen company was destroyed by the Nazi regime. Articles by Posen Witwe are held today in the Frankfurt Historical Museum and the Frankfurt Jewish Museum. Posen. Exceptional figural 800 silver flat handle individual fish fork and fish knife set...