Hochter farm

The Hochter farm is a small cattle farm located in the Denron neighbourhood of the Vöhren district. It is situated near the crossroads of the Kild River and the Holle River. The property is owned by the Hochter family, who primarily engage in raising and trading cattle. They either keep the cattle on their land or buy from local farmers, then sell the cattle or the produce to others. Their primary trading partner is Silbers butchery, a kosher butcher in the city of Lutheria, which is affiliated with the Hochter-Silbers family. The current building is a combination of a house and a stable. Later, an additional separate stable was added. The former building was much bigger but was destroyed by a fire in 1839. The new house and stable are primarily made of a pine wood structure and cladding that was sourced locally. The main building houses the family and includes a stable for the most prized cattle. In the past, the farm came with a large piece of land for grazing, but due to flooding and river repositioning, almost 30% of the land has been swallowed up. The family was never compensated, nor could they reclaim the land on the other side of the river.

Impression

by Zev Chafer (original art)

Location

Residents

by Zev Chafer (original art)

Samuel Hochter

December 6, 1811

Samuel Hochter was born on December 6, 1811, on the Hochter farm in Vöhren. Being the first child, he was destined to inherit the farm from his father. Unfortunately, his family was living in extreme poverty at the time of his birth, and there was very little money available to provide for their basic needs.

Hochter

by Zev Chafer (original art)

Elsbeth Silbers

April 20, 1820

Elsbeth Silbers was born on April 20, 1820 as the second child of David and Lena Silbers in a small apartment above her father's butchery in Lutheria. Elsbeth and her family are Jewish and one of the few Jewish families in the area, with their Shul being in the city of Lutheria. As Elsbeth is the second child, she had more freedom in choosing her life than her older brother Joël, who was destined to take over the family business. From a young age, Elsbeth had an interest in becoming a nurse, but there was, unfortunately, not enough money to pay the tuition. Instead, Elsbeth offered to volunteer at the hospital in Lutheria, where she mainly assisted in caring for the elderly and long-term patients, many of whom were part of the Jewish community. Additionally, she helped those in need by collecting food and clothing for the less fortunate.

Silbers

Hochter

by Zev Chafer (original art)

Herman Hochter

January 16, 1842

Herman Hochter was born on January 16, 1842 as the first child of Samuel Hochter and Elsbeth Silbers. Despite some initial complications, he was born a healthy and cheerful boy, although a month later than anticipated. As the first child, he was expected to inherit the family farm from his father. Herman was born into a Jewish family that lived in poverty. There was no money for school and sometimes not even enough to feed the family.

Hochter

David Hochter

September 7, 1856

David Hochter was born on September 7, 1856, on the Hochter farm as the third child of Samuel Hochter and Elsbeth Silbers. Unfortunately, his older brother Mozes Hochter passed away after complications at birth, which plunged the whole family into a period of sadness. His mother, Elsbeth, even fell into depression. When she found out she was pregnant with David, she feared that this child might also die. Elsbeth did not leave her bed, sang religious chants, and prayed that the baby would be fine. Although the stress took its toll on Elsbeth, David was born healthy and without any complications. For the first few weeks, Elsbeth did not leave his side, afraid that something might happen to him.

Hochter

Zev Chafer by Zev Chafer (original art)

Lotte Hochter

December 18, 1864

Lotte Hochter was born on December 18, 1864, on the Hochter farm as the fourth child of Samuel Hochter and Elsbeth Silbers. She has two older brothers, David and Herman. A few years ago, her brother Mozes died at birth, so Elsbeth was still stressed about Lotte, even though her pregnancy with David went better. Luckily, the pregnancy and birth went very well and without any complications. Lotte was born healthy. As the only girl, Elsbeth is extra protective of her.

Hochter