The life of the Steinfeld family is an excellent illustration of the modern history of Debrecen and Hungary on the personal level of the individual. The authentically detectable life paths of five generations of the family from Hebrew aristocracy strivingfor assimilation, and the merits won via their activities that affected the lives of many people have been unduly forgotten in the midst of history and the storms of society.The persistent intentions of family members for social acceptance and recognition according to their merits, and ultimately, the seeming success of all of these, is a reflection of the constant volatility of Belle Époque and the 20th century extremes.