AUSPITZ

AUSPITZ , Moravian family connected with the *Gomperz and Lieben families. The name is derived from the German name of the Moravian town Hustopeče. abraham shaye auspitz was Judenrichter (Jewish judge) in 1755 and Landesaeltester (head) of the Bruenn district from 1769. He was instrumental in curtailing the powers of the Landesrabbiner (chief rabbi) of Moravia by an imperial decree, issued in 1776. In 1781 samson was elected Landesaeltester. Abraham Shaye's son lazar (1772–1853) established the textile industry in Bruenn and was the first to export wool from Moravia to England. With M.L. *Biedermann he was instrumental in transferring the center of the wool trade from Budapest to Vienna. In 1815 he signed the petition for Jewish rights in Austria with Nathan *Arnstein, but himself broke with Jewish tradition. His only son samuel moved to Vienna and opened a bank. Samuel left two sons, karl, edler von artenegg (1824–1912), an art patron, and rudolf (1837–1906), one of the leading beet sugar manufacturers in Moravia. With his cousin Richard Lieber, Rudolf published a highly regarded book on price theory (Untersuchungen ueber die Theorie des Preises, 1889; repr. 1993). He entered the Moravian Diet in 1871 and the Austrian Parliament in 1873, and became spokesman of the German Liberal Party. From 1900 he was a member of the Vienna communal board. Rudolf was a member of the parliamentary commission investigating the antisemitic riots of *Holesov in 1899. heinrich (1835–1886), who was baptized, was also a member of this family. He taught medicine at Vienna University, was a dermatologist, and wrote many works on the subject.

bibliography:

T. Gomperz, Essays und Erinnerungen (1905), 4–6; W. Mueller, Urkundliche Beitraege zur Geschichte der maehrischen Judenschaft (1903), 13–22; J. Winter, Fuenfzig Jahre eines Hauses (1934); Schumpeter, in: ess, 2 (1930), 317. add. bibliography: J. Niehansand St. Jaeggi, Rudolf Auspitz und Richard Lieben… (1993).

[Meir Lamed /

Marcus Pyka (2^nd ed.)]