Fulda Rabbi's Villa

The Rabbi's Villa was a symbol of Michael Cahn's social standing. It is large and elegant and was designed to accommodate several tenants, including craftsmen, merchants and bankers who were involved in Fulda society, including the merchant Oskar Nussbaum, who owned a specialist leather goods shop and was politically active in the DDP. His wife Klara campaigned for children from poorer families and chaired the board of trustees of the Israelite kindergarten which moved into the villa in 1927 but had to close again in 1933.

Banker Sally Bacharach was the bank director of the Fulda branch of Dresdner Bank and had a great deal of influence in the local economy. He was also a member of the DDP and was a member of the Fulda city council. 

Eduard Stiebel moved into the villa in 1937 and this was his last Fulda address. His wife owned a specialty shop for men's tailoring. 

Flap text ("Die Fuldaer Rabbiner-Villa" by Klaus H. Orth): 

„The former Fulda Rabbi's Villa at Von-Schildeck-Strasse 12 is one of the few historical buildings that have survived as a stone testimony to Jewish life in Fulda. Built in the historicist style for the Fulda provincial rabbi Dr. Michael Cahn (1849-1920) in 1902/03 according to plans by the architect Karl Wegener (1846-1914), the house served as a home for Dr. Michael Cahn and his son Dr. Leo Cahn (1889-1958), who succeeded his father as provincial rabbi, and their family members. After the Reichspogromnacht in 1938, the family had to flee Germany and eventually made their way to Palestine via England. The present volume, which was preceded by many years of research, deals with the rabbi's villa, the history of its construction, the work of the two provincial rabbis and the fate of the Cahn family. The book also introduces the reader to many of the Jewish residents who lived in the rented apartments of the representative house until 1938. Last but not least, the documentary approach underlines the cultural and historical significance of the former rabbi's villa for the city of Fulda and the Jewish history of Hesse.