Dublon family papers
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Overview
- Description
- The Dublon family papers consists of a diary written in German regarding the Dublon family’s experiences aboard the MS St. Louis, May-June 1939; a translation of the diary in English; photographs of the Dublon and Heimann families, circa 1933-1939; and a postcard, 1936.
The photographs include a photograph of a children’s kindergarten performance in Erfurt, Germany, circa 1933. The kindergarten was operated by Frau Topf. Lore Dublon is seated second from the left and Peter Heimann is the first boy on the left. A photograph of the Dublon and Heimann families in Finowfurt, Germany in 1937. Front row (L to R, seated): Lore Dublon, Peter Heimann, “Fife” Dublon (Lore’s sister), Lili Doernberg, Ernie Dublon (mother of the girls), and unknown. Rear row (L to R, standing): unknown, Solomon Heimann (father of Peter), Willi Dublon (husband of Ernie), unknown, unknown. A photograph of the Dublon family standing on the deck of the MS St. Louis on their way to Cuba, May 22, 1939. Willi Dublon stands second from the left, Erna Dublon and Erich Dublon sit on the railing, Eva Dublon and Lore Dublon stand in front.
The diary in the Dublon family papers consists of diary fragments written in German by Erich Dublon while aboard the MS St. Louis, May 13, 1939 to June 19, 1939. The diary entries contain descriptions of the MS Louis, the Dublon family’s experience aboard the ship, accounts of a man overboard, descriptions of Havana harbor, immigration negotiations while anchored in Havana harbor, visits of friends and family, the mental health of the passengers denied entry to Cuba, descriptions of the Florida coast, negotiations with the United States, seasickness on the return trip to Europe, and eventual disembarkation in Belgium. An English translation is also available. - Date
-
inclusive:
1933-1939
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Peter Heiman
- Collection Creator
- Dublon family
- Biography
-
Otto Wilhelm (Willi, 1889-1944?) and Erna Dora Dublon (née Beerman, 1903-1944?) had two daughters, Lore (1927-1994?) and Eva (1933-1944?). The family lived in Erfurt, Germany where Willi owned Salamander Schuhe, a local shoe store and Erna was a housewife. In 1938 the family applied for visas to the United States. The family booked passage to Cuba where they could safely to wait until they received their American visas. They sailed to Cuba aboard the MS St. Louis in May 1939. Erich Dublon (1890-1942), Willi’s brother, also sailed with them. After being denied entry to Cuba and the United States, the family disembarked in Belgium, where Erna had relatives.
On August 8, 1942, Erich Dublon was deported to Auschwitz concentration camp where he perished on September 3, 1942. The rest of the Dublon family was held at the Mechelen transit camp before deported to Auschwitz concentration camp on transport XXIII on January 15, 1944. They were assigned transport prisoner numbers: Willi, 675; Erna, 698; Lore, 699; Eva, 700. Eva and her parents likely perished at Auschwitz concentration camp around 1944 or 1945. Records show that Lore Dublon was sent to Auschwitz and then to Golleschau, a sub-camp of Auschwitz, where she likely perished.
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Photographs. Postcards. Diaries.
- Extent
-
2 folders
- System of Arrangement
- The Dublon family papers are arranged in two series.
Series 1: Photographs and postcard, circa 1933-1939
Series 2: Diary and transcription, May - June 1939
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
- Children. Families. Holocaust survivors. Holocaust victims. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Jewish children in the Holocaust. Jewish refugees. Refugees. United States--Emigration and immigration. World War, 1939-1945. World War, 1939-1945--Refugees.
- Geographic Name
- Finowfurt, Germany. Germany.
- Personal Name
- Doernberg, Lili. Dublon, Erich, 1890-1942. Dublon, Erna Dora, 1903-1944. Dublon, Ernie. Dublon, Eva, 1933-1944. Dublon, Lore, 1927-1944. Dublon, Willi, 1889-1944. Heimann, Peter. Heimann, Solomon.
- Corporate Name
- St. Louis (Ship)
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Peter S. Heiman donated the Dublon family papers to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2000 and 2010. The Dublon family papers is comprised of two accessions, 2000.106 and 2010.299.
- Funding Note
- The accessibility of this collection was made possible by the generous donors to our crowdfunded Save Their Stories campaign.
The cataloging of this collection has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. - Special Collection
-
Save Their Stories
- Primary Number
- 2000.106.2
- Record last modified:
- 2024-04-11 13:18:49
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn699813
Additional Resources
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-
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