Fire at Hochter farm

Life, Failure / Mishap

December 12, 1839

On the evening of December 12, 1839, a fire broke out in the stable. The fire quickly spread to the nearby house and annex. When the flames were spotted, neighbouring farms rushed to the site to help extinguish the fire. It took several hours to put the fire out, but unfortunately, the entire farm was destroyed. By some miracle, the family was not home, and the cattle were able to escape to the surrounding fields. However, for the already struggling Hochters, this was devastating. They did not have the funds to rebuild their house. A fund was started to collect money for the family, but since the Jews were still not accepted by the people, there was not much collected. The Jewish community rushed in to help the Hochters, and they rebuilt the farm themselves, using pine wood from the area. To save on costs, the house and stables were combined into one building. Also, the new farm was placed further away from the river and built on a slight slope to prevent future flooding.   The Silbers family helped the Hochters by rebuilding their house and collecting goods for them. During this time, Samuel Hochter met Elsbeth Silbers and, over time, fell in love with her. However, he was initially hesitant to express his feelings. It wasn't until a few years later that he discovered his feelings were mutual, and they began a romantic relationship. On March 5, 1841, they got married. The union proved to be beneficial for both families as Samuel had a farm where he raised and traded cattle, and Elsbeth's father and brother could use the meat and produce for their butchery, providing financial relief to both families.