Albert Simko and Malvina Simkova

This is a photo of my grandparents Albert Simko and Malvina Simkova, nee Lowyova, taken in 1916 but I don't know exactly where. My grandfather, Albert Simko, was born in 1866 in the town of Rajcany. He had a pub in a small village named Dolne Chlebany, today it's in the Topolcany district. It was a typically Jewish pub, together with a small store. My grandparents were married on 25th August 1891. I don't know much about Grandpa Simko. I remember that he used to give me candies, just little details like that. I know that he spoke German, Hungarian and of course Slovak. My grandfather was a kulak. He had 40 hectares of land in Dolne Chlebany, in Rajcany and I don't know where else. I also know that my grandfather annually sent two wagons of hops to Munich. My grandma, Malvina Simkova, nee Löwyova, was born on 11th June 1971 in Trencin. Someone remembered that her grandfather, or great-grandfather was a famous rabbi. But who it was, I have no idea. From this one can deduce that in those days these members of my family were Orthodox Jews [Neolog communities in Slovakia began appearing only after the Budapest Congress in the years 1868/69 - Editor's note].