Ber of Bolechów

Ber of Bolechów, also known as Ber Birkenthal, was a wine merchant, Hebrew writer, and memoirist. He was born in the Polish province of Ruthenia, and from a young age was tutored in Polish, Latin, French, and German. He started in business by first trading in wool, herring, spices, and other domestic products. Later he joined his father, a veteran wine merchant, to import Hungarian vintage wines into Poland. His successful business required extensive travels to Hungary for the tasting, mixing, and importation of wines such as Máslás, Tokay, and Suchyjagod. His business also brought him into contact with a broad network of Armenian, Greek, French, and German wine traders as well as Polish noblemen and representatives of the Polish crown.

Most of the information about Ber of Bolechów comes from his Hebrew memoirs, written sometime between 1790 and 1800. The memoirs are a rich source on eighteenth-century Polish Jewish life. Although Ber’s memoires focus on business activities, their goal is to encourage his readers to combine Jewish and secular knowledge, particularly of history and political thought.