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The Homberg family came from the region of Mayence, Germany. One of its members settled in Le Havre around 1720. His german wife belonged to an influential Jewish family of Hamburg which had european powerful branches in business, banking and naval armements, the Gompertz. In Le Havre, the Hombergs were mainly engaged in weaponry and international business with Russia, the West Indies and several Northern countries. They also took part in the slave trade in the end of the XVIIIth century and founded a successful insurance company. Having been the only Jews in town for nearly half a century, they did their utmost in order to complete their integration. The whole family consequently got the French nationality in 1775 and converted to catholicism in 1785-1786.