Nadene Goldfoot
I have a sweater, actually a man's sweater, with the word, Diesel on the front left side. It was a present from my daughter-in-law. I wondered what sport and team Diesel was? So, after a year, decided to use google on my computer and check it out. What a surprise! It's the name of a sweater company! They do make men's sweaters; very very expensive men's sweaters!
Aadriano Goldschmied is the cause of this sweater. He was born in 1944 in Trieste to an Ashkenazi Jewish family, whose assets were appropriated (taken away) (stolen)in 1942 during WWII. Later, some of these assets were reconveyed (given back) to his family. When Italy joined the Axis powers in WWII, Jewish people in Italy faced increasing persecution, with the Fascist government enacting discriminatory laws, eventually leading to the internment of many Jews in concentration camps; after the German occupation of Italy in 1943, large-scale deportations of Italian Jews to Nazi death camps began, resulting in the murder of thousands of Italian Jews during the Holocaust.
Adriano Goldschmied (born 1944, Trieste, Italy) is an Italian fashion designer who focuses on denim jeans. He is known as "the Godfather of denim" and is the originator of "premium denim". The founder of Diesel, he also created Replay, Gap 1969, Agolde, Goldsign, and AG Adriano Goldschmied.
And I thought that Denim was the invention of a Gold miner in California or Alaska! Levi Strauss & Co consider May 20, 1873 the “birthday” of blue jeans, because although denim pants had been around as workwear for many years, it was the act of placing rivets in these traditional pants for the first time that created what we now call jeans.
Goldschmied is currently the owner of House of Gold, a creative textile company with the purpose of bringing innovative fabrics to the market.
With initial dreams of becoming a competitive skier, he opened up a store in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1970. This was a springboard for beginning his own denim company.
Since 1996, he has lived principally in Los Angeles and Milan. His daughter, Marta Goldschmied, has launched her own denim line, MADE GOLD Denim.
Ashkenazi Jews came about when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem by fire, burning down Solomon's 2nd Temple and the city in 70 CE. They had starved people, then taken those alive as slaves back to Rome. The Arch of Titus in Rome shows how they had slaves carry the loot they had from the Temple on the trek back to Rome. The slaves were from Judaea, the last state of the the Kingdom of Israel left which included Jerusalem. From the name, Judaea, comes "Jews." Judaea is a historic region in the Levant that is now part of Israel and Gaza It was a Roman province from 6–132 CE. The name comes from the Hebrew name: Yehudah-translated "Jews."
Jews lived in Trieste since 1236. After Trieste sided with Austria in 1382, Jewish people from Germany, some subjects to the Austrian dukes while others to local princes, came to live in Italy.
The nucleus of Jewish Trieste was, for much of the next few centuries, formed by Ashkenazi moneylenders, such as Solomon of Nuremberg, who signed a contract with the city to reside as the "public banker". Other Jewish families resided in Trieste under the protections and privileges granted by various Holy Roman emperors, in exchange for services of "goods and blood" during times of war; these included sovereign justice, the right to practice Judaism unmolested, the right to residence in any town where Jews already lived, which included Vienna, immunity from any taxes not levied on Christian merchants, and others.
Although most Triestine Jews were not of Italian origin, they rallied to the unification of Italy. The peace settlement brought Trieste into the Kingdom of Italy in 1919. Immigration swelled Jewish numbers to 6,000; Jews were prominent in the city's economy and assimilation spread unchecked.
I'm an Ashkenazi with the surname of Goldfus, anglicized to Goldfoot in England. Am I related to Adrian? Only DNA testing could tell that, but his name is interesting and similar. Goldschmidt is in JE (Jewish Encyclopedia) which holds 10 biographies from 19th century Germany and Denmark. LBl (Leo Baeck Institute Bibliobek) has family trees beginning in 1397, 1520, 1621, 1732, 1758, 1762, 1777, and 1812. CA (California State Archives ?) has a family tree from Germany, 1623, and on and on. Also see "Die Familie Gokldschmidt, Oldenburg," by Gerhard Ballin...English variations are: Goldsmid, Goldsmith; Dutch has Goldsmit and Polish is Goldszmidt.
Many Jewish surnames that include names of metals, such as "Silver," "Gold," "Copper," or "Iron," often have historical and cultural roots. Here are a few reasons for this phenomenon:
- Occupational Names: In many cases, these surnames originated from occupations. For example, individuals who worked with precious metals or in related trades might have taken on surnames reflecting their profession, like "Goldsmith" or "Silversmith."
- Symbolism and Status: Metals, especially precious ones like gold and silver, have historically been associated with wealth, status, and durability. Adopting such surnames could reflect aspirations for prosperity or serve as a means of social mobility.
- Cultural Influence: In some regions, particularly in Eastern Europe, Jews were often restricted in the types of occupations they could hold. Many turned to trades in metalworking, leading to the adoption of metal-related surnames.
- Naming Conventions: In various cultures, including Jewish communities, it was common to use descriptive names based on characteristics, trades, or attributes. Metals could denote strength, value, or craftsmanship. Gold + fus? Fus in Yiddish is foot; and fuss is German used as endings. It sounds like our ancestors walked to find gold, or-our feet medical bills were costing us an arm and a leg/foot ! 😄
References
Book: Finding Our Fathers by Dan Rottenberg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adriano_Goldschmied
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trieste
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Trieste
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