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Hedwig Ems memoir

Document | Digitized | Accession Number: 2010.51 | RG Number: RG-02.252

Overview

Description: Consists of a memoir written in 1947 by Hedwig Frank Ems, originally of Halle, Germany. The memoir, which is in the original German and accompanied by an English translation, describes Mrs. Ems' experiences when she was deported at age 73 from Berlin to Theresienstadt. Mrs. Ems describes life in wartime Berlin, the constant threat of deportation, her deportation in late October 1942, and life in Theresienstadt. She describes life in Theresienstadt in great detail, including death, disease, inspections, and witnessing the mass transports out of the camp. In February 1945, she received notice that she had been selected for a transport to Switzerland (likely a reference to the transport that was based on an agreement between Himmler and Jean-Marie Musy), but she decided not to go. She describes the liberation of Theresienstadt, but remained there until August 1945, when she returned to Berlin. Also includes an excerpt of a letter about Mrs. Ems by Martha Cohen, who lived with her in Theresienstadt and a brief supplement to the memoir in which Mrs. Ems described various anti-Jewish actions.
Date: creation: 1947
Credit Line: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of H. Richard Levy

Physical Details

Language: German English
Genre/Form: Personal Narratives.
Extent: 1 folder
System of Arrangement: The Hedwig Ems memoir is arranged in a single series.

Rights & Restrictions

Conditions on Access: There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
Conditions on Use: The donor, source institution, or a third party has asserted copyright over some or all of these material(s). The Museum does not own the copyright for the material and does not have authority to authorize use. For permission, please contact the rights holder(s).
Copyright Holder: Mr. H. R. Levy

Keywords & Subjects

Topical Term: Holocaust survivors--Germany--Berlin--Biography.
Geographic Name: Berlin (Germany) Germany. Halle (Germany) Switzerland.
Personal Name: Ems, Hedwig Frank, 1869-1958. Musy, Jean Marie, 1876-1952. Cohen, Martha.
Corporate Name: Theresienstadt (Concentration camp)

Administrative Notes

Holder of Originals: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Legal Status: Permanent Collection
Provenance: H. Richard Levy donated the Hedwig Ems memoir to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in January 2010. Hedwig Ems is the great-aunt of H. Richard Levy.
Funding Note: The cataloging of this collection has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Record last modified:: 2022-07-28 17:51:06
This page:: http://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn39107

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