Identification tag with name and birthdate issued to a Jewish refugee child
- Date
-
manufacture:
1944
use: 1944-before 1947 December
- Geography
-
issue:
Küsnacht (Switzerland)
- Language
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German
- Classification
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Identifying Artifacts
- Category
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Labels
- Object Type
-
Name tags (lcsh)
- Genre/Form
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Tags.
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Vera Lechtman
Identification tag issued to four-year-old Marcel Lechtman in 1944 while in the care of a children’s home in Switzerland run by Margaret Locher, after escaping France with his mother, Tonia, and sister, Vera. The tag is engraved with his name and birthdate, the name of his foster parent, and the address of the home. Marcel was born in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France, to Russian and Polish parents, who had immigrated to France from Palestine as a result of being forced out for their communist activities. His father, Sioma, fought for the Communist International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War, and was subsequently interned in several camps, including Saint-Cyprien, before being deported to Auschwitz. In 1940, Tonia sent Marcel and Vera to a children’s home in Limoges. While there, Tonia met a Swiss woman named Margaret Locher, who visited the home for several weeks. In 1942, Tonia, Vera, and Marcel were arrested and sent to the Nexon internment camp, from where they were supposed to be deported. A local officer arranged their release, and they returned to Limoges to hide before escaping to Switzerland. They stayed in refugee camps until April 1943, when Marcel and Vera were placed in the care of their mother’s friend, Margaret Locher, who opened a home near Zurich named “Rebhaus,” for Jewish children whose parents were in internment or refugee camps. After the war's end in 1945, Tonia began doing relief work with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee in France, Germany, and Poland. Marcel and Vera remained with Margaret until late 1947, when they were able to join Tonia in her native country of Poland.
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Record last modified: 2022-07-28 21:51:05
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn37082
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Identification tag with name and birthdate issued to a Jewish refugee child
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Identification tag issued to six-year-old Vera Lechtman in 1944 while in the care of a children’s home in Switzerland run by Margaret Locher, after escaping France with her mother, Tonia, and brother, Marcel. The tag is engraved with her name and birthdate, the name of her foster parent, and the address of the home. Vera was born in Paris, France, to Russian and Polish parents, who had immigrated to France from Palestine as a result of being forced out for their communist activities. Her father, Sioma, fought for the Communist International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War, and was subsequently interned in several camps in France before being deported to Auschwitz. In 1940, Tonia sent Vera and Marcel to a children’s home in Limoges. While there, Tonia met a Swiss woman named Margaret Locher, who visited the home for several weeks. In 1942, Tonia, Vera, and Marcel were arrested and sent to the Nexon internment camp, from where they were supposed to be deported. A local officer arranged their release, and they returned to Limoges to hide before escaping to Switzerland. They stayed in refugee camps until April 1943, when Vera and Marcel were placed in the care of their mother’s friend, Margaret Locher, who opened a home near Zurich named “Rebhaus,” for Jewish children whose parents were in internment or refugee camps. After the war's end in 1945, Tonia began doing relief work with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee in France, Germany, and Poland. Vera and Marcel remained with Margaret until late 1947, when they were able to join Tonia in her native country of Poland.
Identification tag with name and birthdate issued to a Jewish refugee child
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Identification tag issued to three-year-old Georges Maringer in 1944 while in the care of a children’s home in Switzerland run by Margaret Locher, after escaping France with his mother, Irene, and father, Simon. The tag is engraved with his name and birthdate, the name of his foster parent, and the address of the home. Georges was born in France, to Jewish parents, Simon and Irene Maringer. Simon completed a Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Zurich in 1936, and began attending medical courses in Brussels. Simon and Irene were forced to flee Belgium in 1940, after the German invasion. On December 1, 1941, Irene gave birth to their son, Georges, in L'Isle Jourdain, just outside of Toulouse. Fearing arrest and deportation, they moved around until September 1942, when they crossed the border into Switzerland. The family stayed together at Les Avants refugee camp, where they became acquainted with Tonia Lechtmann. In August 1943, Georges was placed the care of Margaret Locher, who ran a home near Zurich named “Rebhaus” for Jewish children whose parents were in internment or refugee camps. Among Georges’ foster siblings were Vera and Marcel Lechtman, the children of Tonia, and Marc Hoffmann. Simon worked in a series of camps as a doctor, and in May 1944 moved to Basel to complete his medical education. Irene was sent to women’s camps until June 1944, when she spent two months working for Margaret at the children’s home. Irene followed Simon to Basel in September 1945, and Georges joined them that same year in November. The family lived in Basel until 1948, when they immigrated to the United States.
Identification tag with name and birthdate issued to a Jewish refugee child
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Identification tag issued to five-year-old Marc Hoffmann in 1944 while in the care of a children’s home in Switzerland run by Margaret Locher, after escaping France with his mother, Helene, and father, Charles. The tag is engraved with his name and birthdate, the name of his foster parent, and the address of the home. Marc was born in Paris, France, to Polish parents. In the summer of 1942, fearing arrest and deportation, the family submitted a declaration for admission to Switzerland. They did not receive approval, and illegally crossed the border in October. They were placed together in Camp Les Charmilles in Geneva until November 11, when Marc was placed at the Wartheim children’s home. He stayed there until July 19, 1943, when he was placed in the care of Margaret Locher, who ran a home near Zurich named “Rebhaus” for Jewish children whose parents were in internment or refugee camps. Among Marc’s foster siblings were Vera and Marcel Lechtman, and Georges Maringer. Charles was moved around to multiple camps within Switzerland until May 1945, when he escaped and illegally crossed the border back into France. Helene was also transferred among multiple camps, and while being held completed a course and internship as a seamstress. Helene returned to France in March 1946, but Marc had to stay behind for health reasons. He was permitted to return to France that September.