Yirmiyahu Mattersdorf was born in Oswiecim (now in Poland). Originally he was called Rosenbaum, but took the name Mattersdorf when serving as rabbi to that community (1770-1801). He spent his final years as rabbi of Abaujszanto, in Hungary. He was a noted authority on religious law and was approached for his decisions by rabbis and communities from much of eastern Europe. In Matterdorf he headed a famous yeshiva; one of his students was Aaron Chorin, who was to become a pioneer of Reform in Hungary