Henry Winkler

Winkler in 2005, photo by Starfrenzy/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Henry Franklin Winkler

Place of Birth: Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: October 30, 1945

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Henry Winkler is an American actor, comedian, director, producer, and author. He is known for playing “the Fonz,” an Italian-American, on the television series Happy Days, and also co-starred in the film Scream (1996). He has directed the films Memories of Me and Cop and a Half, the made-for-tv movie A Smoky Mountain Christmas, and episodes of the shows Clueless and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Henry is the son of Ilse Anne Marie (Hadra) and Harry Irving Winkler, Jewish parents who left Nazi Germany, in 1939. His grandparents were killed in the Holocaust. His family belonged to Conservative Judaism, and his parents where among the founders of a synagogue where Henry was Bar Mitzvah. Henry was named after his uncle Helmut Theodor Winkler, who was killed in Auschwitz.

He is married to Stacey Furstman, with whom he has two children. Stacey is also Jewish. Their son, Max Winkler, is a screenwriter and director; Max is married to English actress Jessica Barden.

Henry’s paternal grandfather was Heinrich Jacob Winkler (the son of Leopold Winkler and Leonore Hamel). Heinrich was born in Hungary.

Henry’s paternal grandmother was Pauline Olga Bromberg (the daughter of Michael Bromberg and Bertha London). Pauline was born in Kaliningrad, Gorod Kaliningrad, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, to a Lithuanian-born father.

Henry’s maternal grandfather was Ignatz Fritz Hadra (the son of Eduard Hadra and Henni/Hanni/Nanny Schönwald/Schoenwald). Igantz was born in Bytom, Bytom, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. Eduard was the son of Bernhard Eliezer Hadra and Marianne/Mariana/Marie Riesenfeld.

Henry’s maternal grandmother was Gertrude/Gertrud Freudenthal (the daughter of Emil Freudenthal and Henriette/Henny Hammerschlag). Gertrude was born in Hildesheim. Emil was born in Bahnhofstraße, Bodenfelde, Landkreis Northeim, Niedersachsen. Henriette was born in Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Niedersachsen.

Sources: Information about Henry’s background – https://www.thejc.com
https://israelunwired.com

Genealogy of Henry Winkler – http://www.geni.com

Death record of Henry’s paternal grandmother, Pauline Olga (Bromberg) Winkler – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Henry’s maternal grandfather, Ignatz Fritz Hadra – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Henry’s maternal grandmother, Gertrude/Gertrud (Freudenthal) Hadra – https://www.familysearch.org