Quick Facts
Biography
Mark Zamenhof (was born January 27, 1837 in Suwałki, died November 29, 1907 in Warsaw) is Esperanto form of Markus Fabianoviĉ Samenhof, "Christian" or goja name of Mordeĥaj Zamenhof, son of Fabian Zamenhof and father of L. L. Zamenhof (the creator of Esperanto); teacher of languages French and German. Knight of many orders.
Descriptive analysis of the official documents allowed to ascertain that Mordka Zamenhof officially altered his name in Marek and postmortem the name of his father Fajwel to Fabian, what officially was lodged April 20, 1871, marginally of the earlier birth-certificate of Fejgla.
Professional life
Który urodził himselfę 27•01•1837r w Tykocinie
Autor podręczników i nauczyciel języków francuskiego i niemieckiego Ojciec Ludwika Zamenhofa
twórcy języka Esperanto
Społeczenstwo miasta i gminy Tykocin (Esperanto) Memore to Mark Zamenhof that was born 27•01•1837 in Tykocin Author of textbooks. Teacher of French and German languages.
The father of Ludovic Zamenhof
the creator of the linguo (like this!) Esperanto
1999 Population of the city and community Tykocin
Some unknown facts from the life of Zamenhofs were stripped based on the documents of the State Archive of History of Belarus in Grodno.
In the spring of 1862 Mark Zamenhof declared his profession as an accountant. The reference about him as teacher appears a bit less early – already in the same year.
About Mark is the note in the documents of the Russian secret-service about the teacher Zamenhof from Bialystok, that wrote denunciation letters to the Cara officers. One of the denunciations, anonymous, concerned arriving to Bialystok from Warsaw a Hebrew teacher – Bernard Wildenbaum, whom one charged because of the usage of Polish national dresses. The police in the exploration suspected, that that anonymous letter was written by Zamenhof, because he led that time a concurs school for girls and already sooner had written various denunciation letters.
Zamenhof indeed that time shared the possession of the school for Jewish girls. In 1866 in it were 63 pupils. Several Polish biographers write that Mark Zamenhof was teacher of the Bialystok high school (actual school). If he instructed in that high school, probably that was only for a short episode, that probably happened after the "January Uprising" (so in 1864). Prospective hire of Zamenhof would be bound with the dismissal of many Polishes, that happened after 1863. Then Russian authorities sacked many Polish teachers.
One reckons that in 1873 the Zamenhof family abandoned Bialystok. Even so unanswered is the question about the real cause of the transfer of Zamenhofs in Warsaw, where Mark surely advanced as a teacher of the German language in the Veterinary Institute and in the actual school, being that time only one from between three (!) Hebrews, that deserved to instruct in the Warsaw state schools . Because of what the local teacher received like this important position? Later he became state cencurist of the texts in the languages Hebrew and Jidda and those positions were received only by the most reliable personalities. Simultaneously that was breakthrough in the officiant hierarchy.
According to Z. Weinstein Mark Zamenhof was a secret adviser . Probably Weinstein erred, because the secret adviser was very high, third rank in the officiant ranks, that matched to the rank of general in the army. Zamenhof probably had the 9th rank "title adviser", that matches to the officer rank in Polish army. Prove that the fact the reminiscences according to that Mark, with pride, carried the sword.
Such fast breakthrough in the bureaucratic system certainly was not casual. The most little distinction, sooner advanced the descriptive, secret exploration, about the legitimate activity of the will-be distinguishable person . The "key" to those prominent breakthroughs is probably in the incidents of the year 1862 and the former surveillance about him, by the Cara police. Whether he then decided about his permanent collaboration with the rule? Less early facts show, that that is very probable.
Mark Zamenhof reported about the censorship of the Jewish organ Hacefira. After the moment, when in 1888 he allowed in that organ the article about the wine-testing, about the censorship of Hacefira reported other Jew, originating from Bialystok – Chaim Zelig Słonimski (his grandson Antoni was famous Polish-language poet), ex-censorer from Zhytomyr. In the organ Hacefira one wrote that the censorer Zamenhof were in the execution of his duties very strict and severe.
The censorship "mistake" of Mark was presented as important cause of the financial problems of the family of Ludovico, that caused his transfer to Grodno in October 1893. But that happened 5 years after the penalty of Mark. It seems that the reasons of the financial problems of the family were a bit more complex. It is memorable that at the beginning of the ninetieth years of the 19th century three sons of Mark started their costly, university education: Fabian — pharmacology, Grzegorz (Henriko) and Lion — medicine. Probably was required also the dowry for marrying Gitla.
Help was required alsoby Ludovic.
Mark and Esperanto
Starting studies at university in 1879, L. L. Zamenhof handed over the work on his language (Esperanto) to his father, Mordeĥaj Zamenhof, so that he could preserve it until he finished his studies. He - not understanding the ideas of his son and reckoning the draft be a silly work - burned the book. After many years, he was convinced about the value of the affair, asked and instigated Ludovic for translation of his book Frazeologio Russian-Polish-French-German in to Esperanto, from what arose the Proverbaro Esperanta.