"Buchenwald children" collection

Document | Not Digitized | Accession Number: 2003.392

Overview

Description: Consists of one card identifying Josek Szwarcberg as a civilian internee of Buchenwald and two photographs of the Buchenwald children, who were internees in Buchenwald at the time of liberation. The Buchenwald children, including Josek Szwarcberg, were placed in the care of the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (OSE) in Geneva, who placed them in France, England, and Switzerland. One photograph shows the younger children in Hitler Youth uniforms, as the OSE could not find enough civilian clothing.
Date: 1945-1946
Collection Creator: Joseph Szwarcberg
Biography: Joseph Szwarcberg was born in 1930, in Kozienice, Poland, and grew up in a very religious family. After the German occupation, Joseph, his parents, and his five siblings were forced into the ghetto, where his mother perished. In Aug. 1942, Joseph and his brother Benjamin were taken to the Wolka labor camp, where Benjamin was shot. Joseph was transferred to Skarzysko, then to the Buchenwald concentration camp where he was liberated on Apr. 11, 1945. Only 14 years old, Joseph was put in the care of the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (OSE) which was responsible for the "Buchenwald children," as the child survivors were called. He emigrated to France through the auspices of the OSE and then to Australia in 1948, to live with his sisters, who also survived.

Conditions on Access: There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
Conditions on Use: The Museum is in the process of determining the possible use restrictions that may apply to material(s) in this collection.

Holder of Originals: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Legal Status: Permanent Collection
Provenance: Joseph Szwarcberg donated these photographs to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Sep. 29, 2003.