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Eisenstein and Grunwald families in Cernosice in 1935

Film | Digitized | Accession Number: 2015.304 | RG Number: RG-60.1752 | Film ID: 4138

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    Eisenstein and Grunwald families in Cernosice in 1935

    Overview

    Description
    Title: "Cernosice 1935". Children at play in the garden in summer at the Eisenstein summer villa, including John Grunwald (the boy conducting). Exercising on gymnastic rings outdoors. Playing in the water. The Eisenstein family poses for the camera (Zdenka, Helena, Karel and Emil); mother combs boy's hair. 03:55 Kids (Helena and John) sit at table outdoors, put on a performance. John appears tied to his little brother, Misa. Playing in the pool in swimsuits. Zdenka and her children pick flowers from the garden.

    Otto, Herta, Karl, Mathilda Eisenstein, and Otto's grandchildren Misa and John walk along the sidewalk and ring a bell at the villa gate; Emil and Zdenka greet their family guests. They converse in the yard and pose for the camera.
    Film Collection Title
    Grunwald Family Collection
    Duration
    00:07:24
    Date
    Event:  1935
    Locale
    Prague, Czechoslovakia
    Credit
    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Frank Grunwald
    Contributor
    Camera Operator: Emil Eisenstein
    Subject: Frank Grunwald
    Subject: Emil Eisenstein
    Biography
    Emil Eisenstein (1885-1941) was the owner of a paper factory and later founded a Gross Paper import/export company in Prague. His wife, Szdenka (Cifkova) (1904- ) was a Catholic. They had two children, Karel and Helena. Emil was deported on October 26, 1941 from Prague to the Litzmannstadt ghetto. Szdenka, Karel, and Helena survived the Holocaust. Other Eisenstein family members include Otto Eisenstein and his wife Mathylda, Karl Israel Eisenstein (Emil's older brother), his wife Herta (Neumann), and their three children, Lilly, Heinz, and Kurt. Karl studied at Charles University in Prague and owned a bank in Vienna. They each escaped Prague in different ways due to their Czech citizenship and lived in New Orleans, LA. Heinz and Kurt served in the U.S. Army in Germany during WWII.
    Frank Grunwald (born Misa Frantisek) is the son of Dr. Kurt Grunwald and Vilma Eisenstein Grunwald. (Vilma's father is Otto Eisenstein). Frank was born on September 30, 1932 in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia and his older brother John was born in 1928. Kurt and Vilma met in Prague when Kurt was a medical student, studying obstetrics. The family's life changed radically on March 15, 1939 when German troops invaded and occupied the Czech lands. Misa and John were expelled from school; the family had to wear Jewish stars and was evicted from their apartment. On July 13, 1942 the family was deported to Theresienstadt and separated into male, female and children's living quarters. Kurt continued to work as a physician, and Vilma worked in a large camp kitchen. The family was deported to Auschwitz on December 15, 1943. After spending two days in a crowded railcar, they arrived in the camp in the middle of the nigh and were taken to the Czech Family Camp. Two years later, when they closed the family camp, Kurt was sent to the F Lager while Misa was directed to the left with other young children, as was his brother who though older, walked with a limp. In a matter of seconds, Willy Brachman grabbed Misa by the shoulder and pushed him into the group of older children and was taken to the D Lager where they were tasked with sorting the clothing of new arrivals. Misa saw his father march out of the camp and managed to toss a winter coat and one boot over the barbed wire fence to him. Misa remained in Auschwitz until his evacuation on a death march on January 18, 1945. Misa marched through the snow to Gleiwitz and spent the remaining months of the war in Mauthausen. A group of American soldiers liberated him in May 1945 and brought him to Hoersching to recuperate. He soon reunited with his father and returned to Prague. After the Communist take-over of Czechoslovakia, the Grunwald family decided to flee and in 1951, they immigrated to the United States where Kurt resumed his medical practice. Misa finished high school and studied industrial design at Pratt Institute. After Kurt's death, Misa found a note from his mother explaining the circumstances of her death. She wrote it on July 11, 1944 following the selection and moments before she was gassed. She explains how she voluntarily decided to accompany her son John to the gas chambers. Misa donated the letter to the United States Memorial Museum in July 2012.

    Physical Details

    Language
    Silent
    Genre/Form
    Amateur.
    B&W / Color
    Black & White
    Image Quality
    Poor
    Film Format
    • Master
    • Master 4138 Digital: MP4 - HD
      Master 4138 Digital: MP4 - HD
      Master 4138 Digital: MP4 - HD
      Master 4138 Digital: MP4 - HD

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    You do not require further permission from the Museum to access this archival media.
    Copyright
    Frank Grunwald
    Conditions on Use
    The Museum does not own the copyright for this material and does not have authority to authorize third party use. For permission, please contact the rights holder, Mr. Frank Grunwald.

    Keywords & Subjects

    Administrative Notes

    Film Provenance
    The original 8mm film was in the possession of Helena Paplham as it was filmed by her father, Emil Eisenstein. She mailed a video copy to Frank Grunwald who then donated a copy to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in May 2015.
    Note
    See the USHMM Photo Archive and Collections Search for family photographs and documents which are part of this collection.

    The 2012 documentary "Misa's Fugue" tells the story of the life of Frank Grunwald.

    Cernosice is 5km southwest of Prague. It was a popular summer resort for members of the middle and upper classes from Prague.
    Copied From
    8mm b/w
    Film Source
    Frank Grunwald
    File Number
    Legacy Database File: 6020
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 07:56:39
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn1005037

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