Weinkellerei David Stroh & Sohn - The Stroh Winery

The young man sitting at the desk is
Dally's Uncle Emil (מנחם) Stroh (1880-1958?).

Since U. Emil was born in 1880 is it possible that the older man standing
is his father David Stroh (1834-1905),
and the picture was taken before 1905.
The young fellow standing in the back left may be
Dally's father Berthold Stroh.
The S on the barrels probably stands for Stroh
Photo courtesy of Mr. Stern of Monsey, NY (Uncle Emil's nephew)
If any one has any further info. please let us know.

David Stroh, Dally's grandfather was a wine merchant. When Ma was asked if the Strohs' wine was kosher, she would say, no, it was nesech (יין נסך).

Many תשובות have been written on the subject of Jews dealing with non-kosher wine. Wine production was a very common means of income for Ashkenazi Jews as early as the times of the Rishonim.

Many families in Eisenstadt were vintners of fine wine. Among them was the well known Wolf Family, cousins of the Strohs, who had a world famous winery located in the Jewish quarter of Eisenstadt. 

Oesterreichische Weinkellerei
Himberg
an der Staatsbahn
David Stroh's Sohne
Wien, II, Haidgasse 10
Weinhandlung und Weingutsbesitzer
Gegrundet 1820
K.K. Oster. Postspark Cto. No. 828779
Kgl. Ung. Postsparc Conto No. 1212
Telegramme: David Stroh Wien II/1

Austrian wine cellars
Himberg at the State Railway
David Stroh's Sons
Vienna Second District
10 Haidgasse
Wine dealers and winery owners
Established 1820
Austrian Kaiser Post Park Account no. 828779
Hungarian Royal Post Park Account no. 1212
Telegrams: David Stroh Vienna II/1

A label from a bottle of Stroh's wine

Not much is known about the Stroh winery. On a copy of a bottle label and on a company letterhead that Ma had, it states that the winery was founded in 1820. It is not clear if the Strohs were the original founders.

Entries in the catalog of the Austrian-Hungarian Merchants 1890

In an 1890 catalog of Austrian-Hungarian merchants, mention is made of the Stroh winery in Kismarton (Hungarian name for Eisenstadt). At that time the winery was run by David Stroh. He was also selling 8 year old slivovitz. Later the winery was called David Stroh & Sons, and eventually David Stroh's sons.

Another photo of The Stroh Winery
The man in the center on the left is Dally's Uncle Willy Stroh.
Notice the sign on the upper right
you can see the last few letter of Kellerei and the hn of Sohn.
Apparently this photo was taken years after the previous photo.
The W.S. on the barrels is for William Stroh
who was running the winery at the time.
Photo courtesy of Tommy Lamm of Efrat, Eretz Yisroel (a Figdor descendant)

We know that David Stroh's son-in-law, Uncle Sigmund Figdor also worked for the winery at one time. Uncles Willy and Emil Stroh were also in the business, we don't know if Dally's father Berthold was also involved in wine making. Until when the winery was active has not yet been ascertained.

The winery was located in Himberg, a town just south of Vienna. From the letterhead and from David Stroh's death record it is apparent that in the first decade of the twentieth century there business office at 10 Haidgasse in the second District of Vienna. That house was inhabited by Dally's parents until they fled Vienna in 1939.

Dally saying L'chaim at a Stroh simchah
1976

It is interesting to note that when Dally arrived in the United States one of his first business ventures was the sale of wine. Dally was a good salesman. He would travel by subway with Ma and they would sell kosher wine to Dally's many acquaintances. As Ma would say, Dally knew just so many people.