SAPHIR, SIGMUND:

By: Isidore Singer, Samuel Krauss

Hungarian journalist; born in Hungary 1806 (according to some, 1801); died at Pesth Oct. 17, 1866. He edited several German papers in that city, among them the "Pesther Tageblatt" (1839-45), to which his uncle, the humorist, Moritz G. Saphir, contributed. It had occasionally articles of Jewish interest; for instance, Max Letteris' "Das Tragische Ende eines Dichters," containing the legend of Judah ha-Levi's death. Saphir further edited the "Pesther Sonntagszeitung,"no complete sets of which are known to exist. On Jan. 3, 1864, a number appeared which was announced as beginning the seventh year of publication after an interruption. The paper often contained humorous sketches from Jewish life. He further edited, in conjunction with Count Majláth, a poetical year-book entitled "Iris" (1840-41), which was subsequently continued for five years by Count Majláth alone, one of its contributors being Ludwig August Frankl, who wrote for it "A Night in the Ghetto of Rome."

S. S. Kr.