Solomon Bergstein papers

Document | Accession Number: 1995.A.0682.1

The Solomon Bergstein papers contain documents related to Solomon Bergstein, a Viennese Jewish pharmacist who left Austria and established a pharmacy in Shanghai, China before immigrating to the United States. Documents include identification papers such as birth, marriage and naturalization certificates. Also included are documents from Solomon’s attendance at pharmacy school and employment in Shanghai, including examination certificates, report cards, and employment verification. Other items include correspondence, photographic prints, and newspaper clippings.

The Solomon Bergstein papers contain mainly identification and school documents related to Solomon Bergstein. The identification papers include birth, marriage, and naturalization certificates, a letter for recommendation, and a passport belonging to Solomon’s mother, Etie. The pharmacy school and employment documents contain course certificates and report cards, student books, and a doctor’s examination certificate. Records related to Solomon’s employment in Shanghai include a report of the medical board in Shanghai, verification of employment, and a drug regulation book written in German with his assistance. Other items in the collection include photographic prints, news clippings, and correspondence with items such as his Bar Mitzvah and wedding invitations.

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Date: inclusive: 1916-1992
Language: English
German
Hebrew
Genre/Form: Certificates.
Invitations.
Passport.
Report cards.
Birth certificates.
Marriage certificates.
Correspondence.
Photographs.
News clippings.
Extent: 21 folders
3 oversize folders
Credit Line: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Estate of Solomon Bergstein
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Jacques J. M. Shore

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Document Creator: Solomon Bergstein
Biography: Solomon Bergstein was born in 1901 to Mayer and Etie Bergstein. He attended school at the University of Vienna, where he studied pharmacology. He graduated in 1929 and worked for the Apotheke Grünberg & Metall pharmacy. In 1932, he married Lily Porter. As the situation worsened in Europe, the Bergsteins were desperate to leave. Unable to obtain a visa for the United States, the couple, accompanied by Lily’s mother Henrietta, traveled to Shanghai China in 1939 with little money. Once Solomon arrived, he met with other refugees and learned of the need for medical care for the thousands of refugees that were now residing in Shanghai. A medical board and hospital was formed, and Solomon was charged with the administration of the pharmacy. In the meantime, Lily worked as a seamstress in a textile factory. The Bergstein family eventually received their visas to immigrate to the United States in 1940. Solomon passed away in 1992.
System of Arrangement: The Solomon Bergstein papers are arranged as three series:
•Series 1: Identification, 1923-1961
•Series 2: Pharmacy school and employment, 1915-1965
•Series 3: Various, 1916-1992
Topical Term: Jews--Austria--Vienna.
Jews--China--Shanghai.
Pharmacists--Austria--Vienna.
Pharmacists--China--Shanghai.
Jewish ghettos--China--Shanghai.
Drugstores--Austria--Vienna.
Jewish refugees--Austria.
Jewish refugees--China--Shanghai.
Jews--Austria--History--20th century.
Geographic Name: Hongkou Qu (Shanghai, China)
Shanghai (China)
Vienna (Austria)
Austria--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
China--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
United States--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
Personal Name: Bergstein, Solomon.
Bergstein, Lily.
Bergstein, Mayer.
Bergstein, Etie.
Porter, Henrietta.
Holder of Originals: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Legal Status: Permanent Collection
Provenance: The Solomon Bergstein papers were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum by Jacques Shores, the cousin of Lily Bergstein. The collection is the result of two separate donations made in 1995, and each donation was given a separate donation: 1995.36 and 1995.A.0682. These accessions have since been unified, and can be located under one accession number, 1995.A.0682.
Related Materials: Legacy Accession Number: 1995.36
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.
: Record last modified: 2023-05-24 15:33:13
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn180582