Vladimir Geringer
Vladimir August Geringer was born October 25, 1872 in Chicago. Vladimir married Belle W. Schwartz on June 28, 1900 in Chicago.
Census 1880 Illinois, Cook, Chicago, D89, Page 10, 463 Canal
August Geringer 38, Antonia 35, Miloslav 9, Vladimir 7, Vlasta 5
Census 1900 Illinois, Cook, Chicago, Ward 7, D179, Page 12 150 12th Street
August Geringer 55, Antonia 52, (7 Children, 4 Surviving), Miles 29, Vladimir 27, August 22, Vlasta Mraz (Vraz), Stanislaw Mraz 38, Emil Camsky (Nephew 20, Here 1898)
1910 Illinois Cook Chicago Ward 12 D0595 Page 11 1527 S. Spaulding
Vladimir Geringer 37, Belle 31
1920
1930 Illinois Cook Chicago District 1007 Page 21139 Homan – Hotel
Vldimir A. Geringer 57, Belle A. 50
1940 Illinois Cook Chicago 103-1809 Page 2
Vladimir Geringer 66, Belle 50
Svornost -- June 27, 1890
High School Graduates
Among the graduating pupils of the West Side High School is Vladimir Geringer, the son of the publisher of Svornost. He completed the high-school studies with exceptional success and will enter Ann Arbor after the summer vacation to take up the study of law. Another Bohemian who successfully completed the high school course is William Hrdlicka.
Vladimir, in addition to working with his father on publications for new immigrants, was a lawyer who wrote bylaws for fraternal societies and was named the U.S. Trade Commissioner to the new Czechoslovakia in 1918. An article, published by the Daily Signal (newspaper of Crowley, Louisiana) on April 3, 1919 described this appointment. “Washington, April 3 – V.A. Geringer of Chicago, editor of the Bohemian Daily Svornost, and managing editor of a number of other leading Bohemian papers, has been appointed Trade Commissioner to the republic of Czechoslovakia. It is announced by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of Commerce that the new Trade Commissioner will study and report on industrial and economic conditions in that country as a basis for the development of close commercial relations between the two countries. Trade Commissioner Geringer will said about April 20, and in the meantime manufacturers and exporters interested in the commercial future of Czechoslovakia may address him at 2520 South Crawford Avenue, Chicago.”
Belle Schwartz Geringer died on April 16, 1960. She is interred, with her husband, in the Columbarium of the Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago.
Vladimir died in 1968 – “Vladimir A. Geringer, age 96, suddenly in Phoenix, Ariz., son of the late August Geringer, who was the founder of The Svornost, the first Bohemian Daily Newspaper in Chicago; husband of the late Belle Schwartz Geringer; uncle of Vlasta Adele Vraz. Cremation and burial private at Bohemian National cemetery.”
Vladimir Geringer Private services for and burial of Vladimir Geringer, 96, retired editor-publisher of Svonost, a Czechoslovak language daily newspaper in Chicago, will be in Chicago. Mr. Geringer, 2101 E. Maryland, died Friday in Desert Crest Nursing Home. He came here seven years ago from his native Chicago. Surviving is a niece, Mrs. Viasta Vraz of Berwyn, 111. Universal Memorial Center made local arrangements.
September 30, 1937
Letter from Vladimir Geringer, President Svornost, to J. Monaghan
There are 315,000 Czechs and Slovaks in Chicago. Three daily Bohemian papers and one Slovak, are published.
There are over five hundred Czech societies, fraternal, building and loan, charitable, singing, gymnastic, with a membership of many thousands in metropolitan Chicago. Their activities are regularly noted in our papers, which, like the English papers, give all the news of a general character, both local and national, as well as special news both by cable and telegraph, together with local reports not carried in English language papers, concerning items of interest to all our people both young and old.
Recently the Western Czechoslovak Fraternal Union held a convention to plan merging all our fraternal orders into one organization. Should this worthy object be accomplished the new society would then have a membership of almost 500,000 members and since Chicago is admitted to be the largest Czechoslovak city outside of Prague, Czechoslovakia, the membership in metropolitan Chicago would exceed 100,000 members.
It is conceded by all students of building and loan associations that the Czechs have more building and loan societies than any other group in this city. We have 124 building and loan associations with a membership of 50,000, holding 550,000 shares which have a maturity value of $55,000,000.
These are matters of record. This is another fact on which we base our estimate of our national strength. It also gives you an idea of the progressiveness of our group, their saving habits, property ownership, etc., all of which indicates high purchasing power.
There are 573 grocery stores, 210 drug stores, about 2,500 meat markets, bakeries and other retail stores, many factories, wholesale and commission houses, and homes owned by citizens of Czech descent. On the southwest side of Chicago where Svornost is located, there are hundreds of blocks which are improved with thousands and thousands of residences, apartment and commercial buildings belonging to Czechoslovak-Americans. The large towns of Cicero, 3Berwyn, LaGrange, Lyons, Riverside, Brookfield, etc. are really a continuation of the great Southwest side. On these streets you hear Czech spoken as a rule.
The family of Belle "Isabel" Schwartz Geringer
Frank Schwarz 36, Maria 35, Anton 9, John 6, arrived at Port New York City, from Port Bremen on 5-23-1867 aboard the ship Atlantic.
Laura Kucera married Anthony Schwartz on 11-24-1877 in Chicago.
1880 Illinois Cook Chicago 067 Page 5 214 12th
Antonice Schwatz 23, Laura 19, Isabell 1, John 3
1900 Illinois, Cook, Chicago, Ward 12, D0337, Page 12 1047 Wilcox Avenue
Anthony D. Schwartz 44 (Bohemia) , Laura 38 (Illinois), Isabel 21, Victor H. 16, Olga 13, Raymond Schwartz 11, Helen 9, Lillian 6, Paul 3
Anton and Laura Kucera Schwartz are buried Bohemian National Cemetery, Chicago.