Lazar Kaliński – The “King of Pickles”

Lazar Kaliński – The “King of Pickles” from Brest and a Forgotten Entrepreneur of the Borderlands

Łazarz Kaliński was one of the most prominent Jewish entrepreneurs in interwar Brest-on-the-Bug. Although his name is not as well known today as those of famous bankers or industrialists, for many years it was recognized not only throughout Polesie but even overseas. He built his fortune on the production and export of pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut, while his family's fate became symbolic of the tragic end of the Jewish world of Brest.

An Entrepreneur from Brest

During the Second Polish Republic, Brest and the neighboring town of Terespol formed one of Poland's most important centers for the production of pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut. Thanks to the fertile soils of the Bug River valley and an excellent railway network, the local food-processing industry flourished, supplying not only the domestic market but also foreign customers.

One of the leading entrepreneurs in this business was Łazarz Kaliński, who, together with his brother Józef Kaliński, operated a successful company engaged in purchasing, processing, and exporting preserved vegetables. According to Brest historian Yefim Basin, the brothers accumulated considerable wealth, enabling them to build impressive townhouses in one of the city's most prestigious districts.

Łazarz Kaliński's Residence

Łazarz Kaliński's home stood on the former Piłsudski Square (today's Freedom Square), opposite the residence of the prominent lawyer Józef Rappoport. This was one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in interwar Brest, inhabited by physicians, lawyers, and prosperous merchants.

His brother Józef's residence was located nearby, further emphasizing the family's prominent position within the local community.

Pickles that Reached America

The Kaliński family's greatest commercial success came from exporting canned pickled cucumbers to the United States.

The cucumbers were packed in tin cans and shipped across the Atlantic. Products from Brest and Terespol gained an excellent reputation and found customers even in the American market. Photographs showing pre-war cucumber processing can be found in the article "Ogórki Terespolskie" ("Terespol Cucumbers"):

A colorful anecdote is also associated with the company's exports.

During one Atlantic voyage, sailors opened a can of "pickles" expecting a snack, only to discover that it contained... pure alcohol instead of cucumbers. Since this happened during the era of American Prohibition, the incident caused quite a scandal. Authorities suspected that shipments of canned cucumbers were being used to smuggle alcohol into the United States. However, despite the investigation, the Kaliński brothers' involvement could never be proven. The story eventually became one of Brest's best-known local legends.

Terespol – The Company's Production Base

The Kaliński family's business was closely connected with Terespol.

In the interwar years, the area surrounding the town was famous for cucumber and cabbage cultivation. Local farmers supplied their harvests to processing plants owned by Jewish entrepreneurs from Brest. Together, Brest and Terespol formed an integrated economic region spanning both sides of the Bug River.

One of the local factories was OGROL, a processing plant producing preserved cucumbers and sauerkraut.

Production of pickled cucumbers at the "OGROL" factory, Terespol, pre-war period.

Community Leader and President of the Volunteer Fire Brigade

Łazarz Kaliński was not only a successful businessman but also an active member of the local community.

According to the newspaper Podlasiak (2 May 1926), he was elected President of the Volunteer Fire Brigade (OSP) in Terespol. Other officers included Vice-President P. Sołtrukiewicz, Fire Chief P. Rutkowski, Secretary J. H. Szaciwiński, and Quartermaster P. Leonenko.

His election demonstrates the great respect he enjoyed among the inhabitants of Terespol. The Volunteer Fire Brigade was one of the town's most important civic organizations, bringing together members of different social and religious backgrounds. Entrusting its presidency to a Jewish entrepreneur clearly illustrates the confidence that the entire local community placed in him.

War and the Destruction of the Family

The outbreak of World War II dramatically changed the family's fate.

Following the Soviet occupation of Brest in September 1939, Łazarz Kaliński, as a wealthy entrepreneur, decided to leave the city with his family and seek refuge with relatives in Kovel, Volhynia. He hoped to avoid Soviet persecution directed against private business owners.

After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, tragedy struck. The Kaliński family was confined to the ghetto, where almost all of its members perished during the Holocaust.

Only one daughter survived.

The Surviving Daughter

Before the war, Łazarz's daughter had gone to Russia to study and became a teacher. This circumstance spared her from the fate that befell the rest of her family.

After the war, she returned to Poland as a Polish citizen and later emigrated to Israel. Her descendants have since visited Brest, searching for the family home and other places associated with their ancestors. They also recalled buying the famous "Turkish bread" from a local bakery in pre-war Brest.

The Kaliński Family

Genealogical records preserved in the Geni World Family Tree indicate that Łazarz Kaliński was born before 1890 in Terespol. His occupation is listed as connected with horticulture ("OGROL"), which corresponds well with the family's later involvement in vegetable cultivation and processing.

His wife was Klara Chaja Liberman, also from Terespol. They married before 1900.

Their known child was Ester Edzia Eduarda Kalińska, who is almost certainly the daughter mentioned by Yefim Basin as the sole survivor of the family.

The Surviving Daughter and Her Descendants

Ester Edzia Eduarda Kalińska was born on 18 December 1922 in Terespol. After the war she married Shlomo Stanislav Bergman.

They had at least two daughters:

• Anat (Anna) Shalita (Hebrew: ענת שליטא),
• another daughter, now bearing the surname Shalev.

Ester Edzia Bergman died on 29 November 2010 and was buried in Yarkon Cemetery, Petah Tikva, Israel.

In 2016, Anat Shalita, Łazarz Kaliński's granddaughter, visited both Terespol and Brest to trace her family's history.

The recollections recorded by Yefim Basin are therefore confirmed by genealogical records: the only surviving daughter escaped the Holocaust, emigrated to Israel after the war, and her descendants later returned to Brest in search of their family's roots.

Remembering Łazarz Kaliński

Today, Łazarz Kaliński is remembered primarily through the work of Brest historians and local researchers who document the multicultural history of the city. Historical walking tours of Jewish Brest continue to include his residence among the city's significant landmarks.

His story illustrates the remarkable contribution made by Jewish entrepreneurs to the economic development of the Brest–Terespol borderland. Their businesses created internationally recognized products and brought prosperity to the region. At the same time, the tragic fate of the Kaliński family reflects the destruction of the Jewish communities of Polesie during the Holocaust—a world that has disappeared forever.

Sources

1. Basin, Y., Истории старого Бриска. Как брестские евреи строили венскую синагогу и устраивали сионистские дебоши, Mediabrest.by, 26 August 2019.
2. Экскурсия по Бресту (Walking Tour of Brest), private guide material.
3. Тайны древнего Бриска: как город Брест стал еврейской столицей Беларуси, Real Brest.
4. Podlasiak, No. 18, 2 May 1926.
5. Geni World Family Tree, record: Lazar Kalinski, MyHeritage.
6. Pszczółkowski, M., County Architects in Biała Podlaska County (1918–1939): A Contribution to the History of Architecture in the Lublin Voivodeship.