- Description
- The Rothschild and Weyl families papers include biographical material, correspondence, military records, and photographs relating to Walter H. Rothschild and his family’s prewar life in Frankfurt, Germany, their immigration to the United States in 1936 and 1938, and Walter’s experience as a Ritchie Boy serving as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Army. The collection also includes biographical material, correspondence, and photographs relating to Erna Weyl and her family’s prewar life in Germany, her immigration to the United States in 1938, and her marriage and life with Walter. Nazi government correspondence, political testaments, documents, and photographs of Nazi officials and events are included in the collection.
Rothschild family documents include marriage documentation, packing lists for Carl Rothschild and Alice Rothschild in preparation for immigrating to the United States in 1938, Certificates of Naturalization, and war ration books. Photographs include Carl’s World War I albums which include photographic postcards sent to Alice.
Walter Rothschild's biographical material includes identification documents, a marriage certificate, death announcement, and prewar school report cards from Germany, as well as wartime photographs.
Military records include draft and discharge documentation, documents relating to receiving awards for service, and photographs from Walter's service in the U.S. Army. Also included are newspapers and clippings documenting the end of the war, air-dropped safe conduct papers, wartime pamphlets, Seventh U.S. Army headquarters reports, orders, and other documents, and empty envelopes with hand drawn illustrations sent by Hendrik Willem van Loon, as well as, Signal Corps photographs.
Walter Rothschild's correspondence includes detailed letters sent from Walter to his parents, Carl and Alice Rothschild, and his wife, Erna Rothschild, during his time at Camp Croft, Fort Benning, Camp Ritchie and during his deployment to Italy, France, and Germany. In his letters Walter writes about daily life and routines living in the various military training facilities, his upcoming orders, and life during deployment including his first days in training (August 4, 1942), becoming a citizen (November 28, 1942), arriving in Germany (March 23, 1945), and seeing Adolf Hitler’s apartment (May 11, 1945). During his time as an Intelligence Officer stationed in Germany, he returned to Frankfurt after the bombing. He wrote two letters (April 3, 1945 and July, 26, 1945) about the devastation in Frankfurt and the emotions of returning to see everything destroyed. Some of the letters from Walter are written on Adolf Hilter letterhead that he took from Hilter’s apartment (May 11, 13, 14, 16, and 25, 1945). The series also includes correspondence relating to publishing two letters from Walter dated April 3, 1945 and July 29, 1945, as well as a copy of the article Zwei Briefe aus Frankfurt am Main zur Stunde Null, by Sabine Hock..
Biographical material relating to Erna Rothschild includes birth verification, a German passport, a driver's license, a marriage invitation for her wedding in Camp Ritchie in 1942, references, a Camp Ritchie ID, daily planners, and a Certificate of Naturalization. Immigration material includes maps and pay slips from the Holland-American line in 1939 and tickets from the 1950s. Photographs and albums include mainly prewar photographs of Erna and her family and friends before immigrating in 1938.
Weyl family documents include biographical material for Elly and Karl Weyl including their marriage program, police registry, and records relating to Karl’s military service and as a recipient of the Cross of Honor. Some of the documents have been translated. Correspondence largely includes letters from Elly in Germany to Erna in the United States about life in Germany and updates on their family including Karl’s death and Elly’s last letter to Erna before her deportation in 1942. Some of the letters are from Elly to their housekeeper Marie. Also included are photocopies and translations of the letters. The series also includes research into the Weyl family history and restitution relating to war property damages. Photographs include prewar albums and photographs of the Weyl family.
Photographs include loose prewar photographs from the Rothschild and Weyl families as well as wartime and postwar photographs of Walter and Erna and their family.
Nazi government records include a signed political testament naming Hermann Göring successor to Adolf Hitler, birthday and holiday wishes from Hitler to high-ranking officials, the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross award, requests for supplies from high-ranking Nazi prisoners of war, correspondence from Nazi officials and sympathizers, and a letter of reprimand for violations of the uniform code. Nazi officials and prisoners of war in the series include Julius Schab, Albert Speer, General Breith, Rudolf Bogatsch, Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, Erwin Rommel, Heinrich Himmler, and Claus Schilling. The series also includes photographs taken by Nazi photographers, including Heinrich Hoffmann, of Nazi officials, the 1936 Olympics, musical performances, and various other gatherings and meetings. Included in the images are Adolf Hitler, Henrich Himmler, and Hermann Göring.
- Date
-
inclusive:
1874-2017
bulk:
1912-1954
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Estate of Erna and Walter Rothschild
- Collection Creator
- Walter H. Rothschild
Erna Rothschild
- Biography
-
Walter Henry Rothschild (1912-1956) was born in Frankfurt, Germany to Carl (1879-1969) and Alice (née Klein, 1888-1977) Rothschild. In March 1936 Walter immigrated to the United States aboard the SS Deutschland from Hamburg, followed by his parents in 1938. Walter was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942 and trained at Camp Ritchie, MD in military intelligence becoming one of the Ritchie Boys. Walter served as an intelligence officer in the 179th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division and was stationed in Italy, France, and Germany. For his service, Walter was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Croix de Guerre, European Theater Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge. Walter married Erna Weyl in 1942 and had two children, Lawrence and Carol. They lived in Long Island, New York.
Erna Weyl (later Rothschild, 1912-2006) was born on July 3, 1912 in Bocholt, Germany to Karl (or Carl, 1876-1938) and Elly (born Elfriede Dalberg, 1886-c.1945) Weyl. Karl had six siblings: Ernest (b. 1873), Julius (1874-1942), Rosa (b. 1877), Otto (1878-1932), Willi (b. 1880), and Anna (1888-1930). Erna immigrated to the United States in September 1938 aboard the SS Nieum Amsterdam from Rotterdam. Her parents were unsuccessful in their attempts to immigrate and Karl died from injuries sustained during Kristallnacht. Elly was deported in 1942 from Düsseldorf to the Izbica ghetto and then to the Majdanek concentration camp where she was killed. Erna married Walter Henry Rothschild in 1942 and had two children, Lawrence and Carol. They lived in Long Island, New York.
