Overview
- Description
- Contains personal papers and photographs of Elsa Lüthi-Ruth, a nurse for the Swiss Red Cross and in various internment camps in France during World War II. Papers consist of biographical materials and documentation on the Elsa Lüthi-Ruth activities. The main part of the collection consists of six personal albums that document her youth and studies, as well as her work during the war.
- Alternate Title
- Personal papers of Elsa Lüthi-Ruth
- Date
-
inclusive:
1920-1969
- Collection Creator
- Elsa Lüthi-Ruth
- Biography
-
Elsa Lüthi-Ruth (1909-2005), was a nurse for the Swiss Red Cross and in various internment camps in France during World War II. After the outbreak of World War II she became a member of the Women's Aid Service (Frauenhilfsdienst, FHD) and later she worked for the Swiss Labor Association for Children Harmed by War (Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für kriegsgeschädigte Kinder, SAK), and for children’s aid for the Swiss Red Cross. Together with Elisabeth Eidenbenz und Elsbeth Kasser, she worked at the Maternité Suisse in Elne in France, and later become the head of the Swiss delegation for children's aid in the Southern Zone of France. In 1941-1944 she worked in internment camps in Rivesaltes and Cruseilles in France, then founded and lead a nurses' station in Château des Avenières. After the war she was involved in Swiss charities for war victims. Until 1952 Elsa Lüthi-Ruth lead an orphan's house in Beau Soleil in Gstaad. From 1952 until the death of her husband in 1959 she worked in his carpentry business. From 1960 until her retirement in 1969, Elsa Lüthi-Ruth lead a reconvalescent home in Bern.
- Reference
- Schmidlin, Antonia. Die andere Schweiz. Helferinnen, Kriegskinder und humanitäre Politik, 1933-1942. Zürich, 1999.
Senn, Paul. Bist du ein Mensch... so fühle meine Not. Lest in Gesichtern! Ein Bildbericht von der Tätigkeit des schweizerischen Hilfswerks in südfranzösischen Kinderheimen und Flüchtlingslagern, in: Schweizer Illustrierte Zeitung, Zofingen, Jg. 31
(Nr. 9/25.2.1942), S. 261-265.
[Senn, Paul]. Das Zeitalter des Fortschritts. Die Hölle auf Erden, in: Der Aufstieg, Bern, (Nr. 18/5.6.1942), S. 420-421, S. 423.
Kanyar, Helena (Hg.). Vergessene Frauen. Humanitäre Kinderhilfe und offizielle Flüchtlingspolitik, 1917-1948. Basel, 2010.
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Photograph albums. Diplomas. Medals.
- Extent
-
755 digital images : PDF ; 110 MB.
- System of Arrangement
- Organized in two follwing series: Series 1. Personal documents; Series 2. Photograph albums.
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- This material can only be accessed in a Museum reading room or other on-campus viewing stations. Users are required to complete a User Declaration in order to gain access to the collection.
- Conditions on Use
- No publication and copies of the records and finding aids to the 3rd party users without the written permission from the Archiv für Zeitgeschichte (AfZ). The Museum may not transfer the materials or duplicate records thereof or any of the finding aids to any third party, except as permitted in the Cooperation Contract, Article II paragraph 5 herein or as otherwise permitted in writing by the AfZ. The Museum may not publish the reproduction material or finding aid on the Internet, World Wide Web, or any publicly accessible on-line network without the written permission of the AfZ. Contact afz@history.gess.ethz.ch.
- Copyright Holder
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich. Archiv für Zeitgeschichte - Archivleitung
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- World War, 1939-1945--Jews--Rescue--Switzerland. World War, 1939-1945--Refugees--France. Refugee children--Government policy--Switzerland. Women social workers--Switzerland--Biography. Jewish children in the Holocaust. Humanitarian assistance.
- Geographic Name
- Switzerland--Politics and government--20th century. Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939--Refugees. Switzerland
- Corporate Name
- Rivesaltes (Concentration camp)
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich. Archiv für Zeitgeschichte - Archivleitung
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Source of acquisition is the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich. Archiv für Zeitgeschichte (AfZ), Switzerland. The estate of Elsa Lüthi-Ruth was organized by Dr. Helena Kanyar, and acquired by the AfZ. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives received the digitized collection via the United States Holocaust Museum International Archives Programs in Oct. 2011.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-06-30 12:31:50
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn47981
Additional Resources
Download & Licensing
- See Rights and Restrictions
- Terms of Use
- This record is digitized but cannot be downloaded online.
In-Person Research
- Requires Research Visit
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-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
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