William Malsh papers
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Overview
- Description
- The William Malsh papers consist of letters his parents sent him from Düsseldorf describing their hopelessness and their efforts to escape Nazi Germany. Coded language in letters from November and December 1938 refers to Paul Malsch’s imprisonment in Dachau, letters from summer 1939 document work William expected to receive from Carl Laemmle, letters from the spring of 1940 reflect his parents' reaction to news of his engagement, and an October 1941 letter reveals their expectation that they would shortly be moving to an unknown location. Additional correspondence with his uncles Ernst and
Eugene Malsch document Ernst’s escape to Shanghai and Eugene’s efforts to help the family immigrate. The collection also contains a photograph and brief biographical sketch of William’s parents and a World War I postcard from William’s father to Eugene. - Date
-
inclusive:
1915-circa 1993
bulk: 1937-1941
- Collection Creator
- William R. Malsh
- Biography
-
William Malsh (1913-1994) was born Wilhelm Malsch in Düsseldorf to Paul (1885-1941?) and Amalie (nee Samuel, 1889-1941?). He changed his name to Malsh after immigrating to the United States in 1937 with the help of his uncle, Eugene Malsch, who had immigrated in 1890. Malsh lived in Corona, Chicago, and Los Angeles, enlisted in the Army in 1942, and commanded a Military Intelligence Interrogation team at the end of the war. His father and uncle, Ernst Malsch (b. 1887), were imprisoned at Dachau and Sachsenhausen respectively after Kristallnacht. His parents perished in the Holocaust, but sources differ as to whether they were sent to Theresienstadt, Łódź, or Auschwitz. Uncle Ernst managed to escape Germany to Shanghai in 1939.
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Photographs.
- Extent
-
1 box
- System of Arrangement
- The William Malsh papers are arranged as a single series: I. William Malsh papers, 1915-approximately 1993 (bulk 1937-1941)
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
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- William and Rebecca Malsh donated the William Malsh papers to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1993 and 1997. The accession previously cataloged as 1997.A.0278 has been incorporated into this collection.
- Funding Note
- The cataloging of this collection has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
- Primary Number
- 1994.A.0027.1
- Record last modified:
- 2023-03-30 15:12:19
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn532716
Additional Resources
Download & Licensing
In-Person Research
- Available for Research
- Plan a Research Visit
-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
Bowie, MD
