Overview
- Description
- The collection relates to the experiences of Anna Koppich, a Hungarian doctor. The letters, which were translated from Hungarian to English by Agnes Kun and which were written by Anna to her husband, describe the German invasion of Hungary; their son's depression after his father had been taken to an unknown location by Hungarian gendarmes; the wearing of the yellow star; Anna and her son's life in the ghetto in Cluj, Romania, their deportation from the ghetto and arrival in Birkenau, and their separation; living conditions inside Auschwitz; and Anna's transfer to an unnamed camp. Richard J. Prystowsky's "Introduction" to the letters and the majority of his "Notes" were not published with the translated letters. Prystowsky wants it known that "[t]hese notes were part of a working draft. Since the vast majority of them were not used in the published version, they were left essentially unaltered, both substantively and stylistically." Richard Prystowsky wrote an "Introduction" and "Notes" describing or defining those locations, individuals, and foreign language terms which are briefly cited in the letters.
- Date
-
1945
- Collection Creator
- Richard J. Prystowsky
Anna Koppich - Biography
-
Dr. Richard Prystowsky is a faculty member of the School of Humanities and Languages at Irvine Valley College, Irvine California
Anna Koppich (1909-2005) was a Jewish doctor living in Hungary at the time of German occupation in 1944. She, her son, Gyurika (George), and her parents were incarcerated in the Kolozsvàr ghetto in 1944, after her husband, Ferri had already been deported to a labor camp. In the ghetto, Anna continued to work as a physician and care for the sick. In June 1944 Anna and her family and were transported to Auschwitz, where Anna was separated from her child and parents and sent to work in the camp as a physician. George and her parents were later killed in the camp. Once a hospital was established in Auschwitz, Anna was put to work and there she encountered Joseph Mengele. Anna remained detained in Auschwitz until the camp was liberated in 1945. After the war she was reunited with her husband and worked as a gynecologist in Bucharest, Romania. She eventually immigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles County, California. Anna died in 2005 at the age of 90.
- Reference
- Prystowsky, Richard J. "Letter from Auschwitz." Elephant Ear (Spring 1988)
Physical Details
- Language
- English
- Extent
-
1 folder
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- Material(s) in this collection may be protected by copyright and/or related rights. You do not require further permission from the Museum to use this material. The user is solely responsible for making a determination as to if and how the material may be used.
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Jewish women physicians. Magen David. Depression in children. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Personal narratives. World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps. Jewish ghettos--Romania--Cluj-Napoca.
- Geographic Name
- Hungary--History--1918-1945.
- Personal Name
- Koppich, Anna.
- Corporate Name
- Auschwitz (Concentration camp) Birkenau (Concentration camp)
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Richard J. Prystowsky gave the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum copies of the material in Oct. 1992. Dr. Prystowsky, editor of the original letter written by Anna Koppich to her husband Ferriin Mar. 1945 in Auschwitz and translated by Agnes Kun, sent these materials to Holly Snyder in Mar. 1992, who was the Acting Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Oral History Department. The materials are: a photocopy of an article based on the original letter entitled "Letter from Auschwitz," which appears in the The Elephant Ear (Spring 1988); a typescript containing original introductory material for the article; and a typescript containing on original set of notes to the article. Ms. Snyder transferred these materials to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Sep. 1992.
- Funding Note
- The cataloging of this collection has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-02-24 14:01:13
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn504165
Download & Licensing
In-Person Research
- Available for Research
- Plan a Research Visit
-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
Bowie, MD
