Overview
- Brief Narrative
- Prayer book carried and used by Franz Meissner with an inscription dated 1912 inside the front cover. Franz, age 16, left Czechoslovakia in October 1939 because of the increasing persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with Youth Aliyah, an organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a fishing boat to Sweden. He had been receiving weekly letters from his family, even after their deportation to the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1942. The letters stopped in 1943. After completing his education, Franz left for Great Britain where he joined the Czech army in exile. In the fall of 1944, Franz learned that his family had been sent to Auschwitz death camp. After the war, he returned to Czechoslovakia, searching for his family, but he found no survivors.
- Title
- Siddur
- Date
-
publication/distribution:
1906
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Margit Meissner
Physical Details
- Language
- Hebrew
- Classification
-
Books and Published Materials
- Category
-
Books and pamphlets
- Object Type
-
Prayer books (lcsh)
- Physical Description
- 226 p.
- Materials
- overall : paper, ink
- Inscription
- front cover interior, handwritten : 1912...
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The prayer book was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2009 by Margit Meissner, the widow of Frank Meissner.
- Record last modified:
- 2022-07-28 21:51:06
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn37627
Download & Licensing
In-Person Research
- By Appointment
- Request 21 Days in Advance of Visit
- Plan a Research Visit
- Request to See This Object
Contact Us
Also in Frank Meissner family collection
The collection consists of artifacts and a prayer book relating to the experiences of Franz Meissner and his family in Czechoslovakia before and during the Holocaust, and of Franz's experiences after escaping to Denmark, then Sweden, and Great Britain, where he joined the Royal Air Force, for the duration of World War II.
Date: approximately 1939-1946
Striped silk tallit, green velvet bag and white liner used by a Czech Jewish refugee
Object
Black striped silk tallit gadol, a prayer shawl worn by Jewish males during morning services, and two storage pouches used by Franz Meissner. Frank, age 16, left Czechoslovakia in October 1939 because of the increasing Nazi persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with members of Youth Aliyah, a organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a fishing boat to Sweden. He had been receiving weekly letters from his family, even after their deportation to the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1942; the letters stopped in 1943. After completing his education, Franz left for Great Britain where he joined the Czech army in exile. In the fall of 1944, Franz learned that his family had been sent to Auschwitz death camp. After the war, he returned to Czechoslovakia, searching for his family, but he found no survivors.
Pair of tefillin with an embroidered green velvet bag used by a Czech Jewish refugee
Object
Tefillin set and green velvet storage pouch used by Franz Meissner who left Czechoslovakia for Denmark in October 1939. Tefillin are small boxes that contain prayers that are attached to leather straps and worn by Orthodox Jewish males during morning prayers. Franz, age 16, left Trest in October 1939 because of the increasing persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with Youth Aliyah, a organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a fishing boat to Sweden. He had been receiving weekly letters from his family, even after their deportation to the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1942; the letters stopped in 1943. After completing his education, Franz left for Great Britain where he joined the Czech army in exile. In the fall of 1944, Franz learned that his family had been sent to Auschwitz death camp. After the war, he returned to Czechoslovakia, searching for his family, but he found no survivors.
Red and black plastic cigarette holder used by a Czech Jewish refugee
Object
Cigarette holder used by Franz Meissner. Frank, age 16, left Czechoslovakia in October 1939 because of the increasing Nazi persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with members of Youth Aliyah, a organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a fishing boat to Sweden. He had been receiving weekly letters from his family, even after their deportation to the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1942; the letters stopped in 1943. After completing his education, Franz left for Great Britain where he joined the Czech army in exile. In the fall of 1944, Franz learned that his family had been sent to Auschwitz death camp. After the war, he returned to Czechoslovakia, searching for his family, but he found no survivors.
![Belt for a kittel [ceremonial robe] saved by a Czech Jewish refugee](https://www.ushmm.org/media/emu/get?irn=37632&mm_irn=15560&file=secondary "Belt for a kittel [ceremonial robe] saved by a Czech Jewish refugee")
Belt for a kittel [ceremonial robe] saved by a Czech Jewish refugee
Object
Long, narrow belt for a kittel, a ceremonial robe worn by a Jewish male, used by Norbert Meissner, who was president of the synagogue in Trest, Czechoslovakia, before and during the Holocaust. He and his wife, Lotte, and son, Leo, were deported to Theresienstadt in 1943. A year later, they were sent to Auschwitz death camp where they perished. The belt was preserved by his son, Frank. Frank, age 16, left Czechoslovakia in October 1939 because of the increasing Nazi persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with members of Youth Aliyah, a organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a fishing boat to Sweden. He had been receiving weekly letters from his family, even after their deportation to the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1942; the letters stopped in 1943. After completing his education, Franz left for Great Britain where he joined the Czech army in exile. In the fall of 1944, Franz learned that his family had been sent to Auschwitz death camp. After the war, he returned to Czechoslovakia, searching for his family, but he found no survivors.
Blue striped tallit with embroidered Hebrew text used by a Czech Jewish refugee
Object
Embroidered tallit gadol, a prayer shawl worn by Jewish males during morning prayers, used by Franz Meissner. Frank, age 16, left Trest in October 1939 because of the increasing Nazi persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with members of Youth Aliyah, a organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a fishing boat to Sweden. He had been receiving weekly letters from his family, even after their deportation to the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1942; the letters stopped in 1943. After completing his education, Franz left for Great Britain where he joined the Czech army in exile. In the fall of 1944, Franz learned that his family had been sent to Auschwitz death camp. After the war, he returned to Czechoslovakia, searching for his family, but he found no survivors.
