The family name of 'Haarburger' or 'Harburger' will generally have two
backgrounds both being Germanic. Firstly in Harburg, Bavaria (also spelled
'Haarburg' in the 18 century) and secondly Harburg in/near Hamburg.
Harburg, Bavaria. The Synagogue in
the foreground and castle in Background
The Jewish community of Harburg (Bavaria) started in 1671 when Jews expelled
from nearby Catholic areas settled in the town. This was triggered by the
expulsion of Jews from Vienna by Emperor Leopold in 1670. Count Albercht
Ernst I, who owned the Harburg Castle, allowed Jews to settle in the town
of Harburg and also granted them protection in the Lutheran areas. It is
possible he may have been done this for payment of fees. The Harburg
Jewish population started with about half a dozen families and lead to
a peak of 60 families, approximately 300 persons which at the time was
about 20 percent of the Harburg population. Between 1750 and 1850 the number
of Jews in Harburg started to decline because of the growing attraction
of the big cities. By 1900 the Jewish population of Harburg was reduced
to a dozen or so families, which were mostly elderly people. By 1935 the
last Jewish families, who were cattle dealers, left Harburg for Palestine.
This means that none of Jews living in Harburg were affected by the Holocaust.
It is also noted that when Jews left the town of Harburg over the centuries
the authorities in the places they settled in would have given them surnames
marking their own native town, i.e. 'Haarburger' or 'Harburger' depending
on the time they moved.
Less is know (so far) about the history of the 'Haarburger's' in Hamburg
and the area of Harburg, Hamburg itself. It is most probable that 'Haarburger's'
in Hamburg also originally came from Harburg, Bavaria. This is because
there are no records (looking back to the year 1135) of Harburg, Hamburg
ever being spelled 'Haarburg'. It is therefore concluded the 'Haarburger's'
in Hamburg came from Harburg, Bavaria during the 18th Century and were
given the name 'Haarburger' as Harburg (Bavaria) was spelled Haarburg during
this time. The first document about
Harburg, Hamburg is from about 1135. It mentions a castle ashore of the
river Elbe named "Horeburg", which means "castle in the fen". In 1297 the
settlement around the castle got the municipal rights. Harburg - on the
south shore of the Elbe - was always in competition to Hamburg on the north
side. In the 19th century Harburg's population exploded because of a lot
of jobs in the new industry. Many people came especially from Mecklenburg
and from Pomerania to work in Harburg. In 1937 Hitler created the "Big-Hamburg-Law"
and made Harburg (as Altona and Bergedorf, too) into a district of Hamburg.