Overview
- Description
- Contains letters written between December 1940 and September 1942 by Clara and Wilhelm Dreyfuss in concentration camps in France, addressed to Clara's sister and her husband, Recha and Wilhelm Reutlinger, in New York City. The letters contain information about the conditions in the camps; the Dreyfuss's experiences in Gurs, Les Milles, and Rivesaltes; and their unsuccessful quest to leave Europe. Each handwritten letter is accompanied by a German transcription and an English translation.
- Date
-
inclusive:
1940-1942
- Collection Creator
- Clara Dreyfuss
Wilhelm Dreyfuss - Biography
-
Clara Dreyfuss (1900-1942) was born Clara Pollak on 17 February 1900 in Olnhausen, Germany. She married Wilhelm Dreyfuss and they had two children: Bertha (later Bertha Strauss, b. 1936) and Leo (b. 1937). In October 1940 Clara and Wilhelm were deported from Karlsruhe to the Gurs concentration camp in France. In September 1942 they were deported to Rivesaltes and Drancy and then Auschwitz on 16 September 1942 where they perished.
Their children were hidden by Œuvre de secours aux enfants (France) (OSE) in France. Later the children were smuggled to Switzerland, and after World War II, the orphaned children immigrated to the United States. They were raised by Clara’s sister Recha Reutlinger and her husband Wilhelm Reutlinger.
Wilhelm Dreyfuss (1898-1942) was born on 25 November 1898 in Malsch, Germany. He had at least one sister, Irma (later Irma Klanfield). He married Clara Pollak and they had two children: Bertha (later Bertha Strauss, b. 1936) and Leo (b. 1937). During Kristallnacht Wilhelm was arrested and imprisoned in Dachau. In October 1940 Wilhelm and Clara were deported from Karlsruhe to the Gurs concentration camp in France. In September 1942 they were deported to Rivesaltes and Drancy and then Auschwitz on 16 September 1942 where they perished.
Their children were hidden by Œuvre de secours aux enfants (France) (OSE) in France. Later the children were smuggled to Switzerland, and after World War II, the orphaned children immigrated to the United States. They were raised by Clara’s sister Recha Reutlinger and her husband Wilhelm Reutlinger.
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Letters.
- Extent
-
1 folder
- System of Arrangement
- Arrangement is chronological
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
- Ms. Bertha Strauss
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Jews, German--France.
- Geographic Name
- France
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Clara and Wilhelm Dreyfuss wrote the letters to Clara's sister and her husband, Recha and Wilhelm Reutlinger. Bertha and Leo, children of Clara and Wilhelm Dreyfuss, were hidden by Œuvre de secours aux enfants (France) (OSE) in France. Later the children were smuggled to Switzerland, and after World War II, the orphaned children emigrated to the United States. They were brought up by Recha Reitlinger. Recha Reutlinger gave the letters to Bertha Dreyfuss (now Bertha Strauss). She donated the collection to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives in June 2003.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-08-28 09:14:57
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn513018
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-
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