Oral history interview with Martin Ostwald and Lore Ostwald

Ostwald family collection

Document

The Ostwald family collection consists of biographical materials, correspondence, diaries and memoirs, photographs, photo albums, and negatives related to the Ostwald family of Dortmund, Germany; the Strauss family; the Tendlau family; and the Weinberg family. The biographical materials series includes genealogy materials, family trees, and research files regarding various branches of the Ostwald family. The file on August Niemeyer (1887-1938), Martin Ostwald’s favorite Latin teacher, includes Niemeyer’s obituary and copy prints of the Dortmund school Martin attended. Materials relating to the Ostwald family include Martin Ostwald’s Germany passport, 1938; Canadian passports, 1946-1952, 1953-1956; a soccer certificate, 1937; Canadian Certificate of Naturalization, 1946; National Health and Pensions Insurance Card, 1940; and materials related to Martin Ostwald’s honorary degree from the University of Dortmund, November 2001; Max Ostwald’s obituary; and the text of a eulogy for Philippine Ostwald (1849-1935). Biographical materials relating to the Strauss and Weinberg families include school report cards and certificates for Gertrude and Louise Strauss; Gertrude Strauss’ Certificate of Naturalization, June 11, 1948; ephemera from Oscar and Emilie Weinberg’s trip to the Middle East, 1927; Emilie Weinberg’s German identification document, 1939; and Lore Weinberg’s school documents, 1938-1944. Also included is a photocopy and transcription of a letter written by Max Tendlau from the front in France during World War I. He was killed one month later on May 6, 1916. The correspondence series includes letters from various friends and family members related to the Ostwald family and the Weinberg family, 1898-2000s. The series also includes letters from Max and Hedwig Ostwald, 1938-1942; condolence letters sent to the family after Max Ostwald’s death at Theresienstadt in 1943; an album of postcards sent to Martin and Ernest Ostwald from various family members, circa 1920s; correspondence from Ernest Ostwald to his brother Martin Ostwald, 1941-1950; and translations of some of the Ostwald family letters completed by Martin Ostwald and Tom Artin. Also included is a a copy of Hedwig’s last letter to her children written over five months, May 21-October 18, 1944, before her death at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Felix Bachmann, a fellow prisoner held on to the letter until his liberation from Theresienstadt in May 1945. Bachmann located Ernest Ostwald in England a year later and sent him the letter. The subject files include material related to Jewish life in the synagogue district Meschede; the Ostwald house; a reparations file, circa 1950s; Sachsenhausen concentration camp, circa 1990s-2000s; and events at Swarthmore College, 1997, 2002. The diaries and memoirs series includes a poesies book written in English and German belonging to Emilie Callman, circa 1850s-1860s; a poesies book, 1896; Martin Ostwald’s diary, 1922-1940; Martin Ostwald’s memoir, 1989-2010; and two diaries relating to Oscar and Emilie Weinberg’s trip to Istanbul and the Middle East, 1927. The printed materials series includes postcards, newspapers and newspaper clippings, and publications. The postcards include blank postcards collected by Oscar and Emilie Weinberg on their trip to the middle east; illustrations of the Pied Piper of Hamelin; and various other blank postcards. Addressed postcards are located within the correspondence series. The miscellaneous series includes stamps from the 1936 Olympics in Berlin as well as dried Edelweiss flowers that belonged to Emilie Weinberg. The Ostwald collection also contains Elfriede “Friedchen” Strauss’ sketchbook, 1908. The photographs and photograph albums were arranged by the archivist in order of family. The majority of the photograph albums within the collection are facsimiles of the original albums. The photographs include pre-war, wartime, and post-war photographs of the Ostwald family, the Strauss family, the Weinberg family, and the Tendlau family.

Oral history interview with Vera Koppel Sander

Oral History