Pilgrimage by Jewish family to old home in Shrigley

Pilgrimage by Jewish family to old home in Shrigley

1 February 2017

MEMBERS of a Jewish family have made an emotional Holocaust weekend pilgrimage to the village of Shrigley.

Walter Weiniger first arrived in Shrigley in 1939, before the outbreak of the Second World War, to help establish a highly successful leather tannery in the village.

On Sunday, Walter’s son, Richard, and grandson, David, returned to the village for the first time in almost 70 years.

Walter was fleeing Hitler’s purge of Jews when he arrived with the Utitz brothers, Alfred and Isaac, to take over the derelict linen spinning mill and establish a leather tannery. They were welcomed with open arms by the villagers, suffering from the awful impact of the mill closure in 1930 and the Hungry Thirties.

By November 1939 they were employing 90 people tanning sheep skins and cattle hides for shoes, handbags and clothing.

“I have very vague memories of Shrigley but my father never really talked about the early years and 

how he had managed to get out of Austria,’’ explained Mr Weiniger.

“It is nice to be back to help piece together some of the family history.’’

On his visit he was shown round by Chris Hagan, who compiled the history of the village, Farewell to Dear Old Shrigley. One place of particular interest was Shrigley Lodge, the home Walter first settled his family into when he arrived in the village.

There was time for a stop-off too in Killyleagh’s Plantation Street, where he also established Marybeg, named after his wife. It acted as a finishing house for the tannery leather, producing high quality leather handbags. 

Walter also established a handbag finishing factory in Belfast’s Donegall Pass. Eventually he left to live in the Annadale area of Belfast and Alfred Utitz, his wife, and their son, Erik, moved into Shrigley Lodge.

Walter recalls that the Utitz family were regular visitors to the family home for many years afterwards.

He eventually established his own knitwear factories before retiring. He had three children and nine grandchildren. The family now includes 19 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.

Chris Hagan said: “The Weiniger and Utitz names are remembered with affection and thankfulness in Shrigley. It is difficult to explain the hunger in the village at the time they arrived. The success of the tannery they established was remarkable — within less than 30 years it was employing 500 people and had won the Queen’s award for export.

“To hear Walter’s story from his son is amazing. The family are keen to hear from anyone who has memories of the Weiniger family or the Marybag factory.’’