Gad Beck papers
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Overview
- Description
- The Gad Beck papers consist of a miniature book, two photographs, and an aphorism. The booklet, titled "Erinnerst Du Dich," was created by Manfred Lewin as a souvenir for his lover, Gad Beck, and includes sketches, poetry, and memories. One photograph is a portrait of Manfred Lewin, and the other is a photograph taken by Manfred Lewin of Gad Beck and other members of their youth movement on the roof of the Jewish school at Artilleriestrasse 14 in Berlin. The aphorism is by Wilhelm von Humboldt and describes the beauty of the gift of life.
- Date
-
circa 1942
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Gad Beck
- Collection Creator
- Gad Beck
- Biography
-
Gad Beck (1923-2012) was born Gerhard Beck in Berlin to Heinrich and Hedwig (Kretchmar) Beck. His father was Jewish, and his mother was Protestant. He was active in the Hechalutz Zionist youth movement and developed his first serious relationship with fellow member Manfred Lewin, who was killed at Auschwitz in 1942. Gad was ordered to report to a temporary internment camp for Jewish spouses of non-Jews in 1943, but he was released with the others following a protest by their non-Jewish relatives. He worked with Chug Halutzi, a clandestine group of Jewish youth members of the Hechalutz movement in Berlin, for the remainder of the war, was arrested in March 1945, and was liberated by the Soviets in April.
- Reference
- The collection is featured in the Museum’s online exhibit “Do You Remember, When?” The Museum also holds an oral history interview with Gad Beck, and a second oral history that forms part of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute Visual History Archive can be viewed onsite at the Museum. The Museum’s library holds copies of Gad Beck’s memoirs, and a number of digitized photographs of Beck can be accessed through the Museum’s catalog.
Physical Details
- Language
- German
- Genre/Form
- Photographs. Diaries.
- 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
- Jews--Germany--Berlin. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Germany--Berlin. Jewish gay men--Germany--Berlin.
- Geographic Name
- Berlin (Germany)
- Corporate Name
- Hechalutz (Organization)
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Gad Beck donated his papers to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2000.
- Funding Note
- The cataloging of this collection has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
The accessibility of this collection was made possible by the generous donors to our crowdfunded Save Their Stories campaign. - Special Collection
-
Save Their Stories
- Record last modified:
- 2024-04-11 13:19:08
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn523755
Download & Licensing
In-Person Research
- Available for Research
- Plan a Research Visit
-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
Bowie, MD
