Spanier family collection
Consists of correspondence, documents, realia, manuscripts, and photographs related to the Holocaust experiences of the Spanier family, originally of Berlin, Germany. Dr. Lothar Spanier (who went by John L. Spanier in the United States) immigrated to the United States in 1939, but his parents, Rabbi Meier Spanier and Charlotte Mayer Spanier, committed suicide in 1942, to avoid deportation. The collection includes Rabbi Spanier's memoirs, written from 1920s-1934, correspondence between Germany and the United States from 1939-1942, and documents regarding John Spanier's attempts to obtain employment in the United States. Also includes John Spanier's colors (ribbon and medallion) of the KC Blaetter German-Jewish youth organization.
- Date
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1898-1960
- Genre/Form
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Personal narratives.
- Extent
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3 boxes
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Lori and Steven Ross
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Record last modified: 2021-05-25 15:08:11
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn518497
Also in John L. Spanier family collection
The collection consists of a fraternity medallion, correspondence, documents, manuscripts, and photographs relating to the experiences of Lothar (John L.) Spanier and his family in Berlin, Germany, before and during the Holocaust, and of John after his emigration to the United States in 1939.
Kartell-Convent fraternity ribbon with ceramic medallion brought to the US by a Jewish refugee
Object
Kartell-Convent fraternal ribbon with medallion received by Lothar (John) Spanier in Berlin, Germany. This was the only all Jewish dueling fraternity and these colors may have been issued for fencing prowess. The ribbon is embroidered with his monogram and the fraternity motto. The K-C [Kartell-Convent der Verbindungen Deutscher Studenten Juedischen Glaubens] was a national organization that brought together Jewish student fraternities in Germany. The K-C was outlawed in 1933/34 by the Nazi government, along with other Jewish groups. Lothar, who had become a dentist, emigrated to the United States in 1939. His parents, Rabbi Meier and Charlotte Mayer Spanier, committed suicide to avoid their scheduled September 1942 deportation to the concentration camps.
