Glass and silver keepsake box used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and postwar aid worker

Wedding dress with ruffle made for the marriage of 2 German Jewish DP camp aid workers

Object

White, full skirted gown worn by Alice Redlich, 28, at her wedding to Hans Finke, 28, at the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp on June 20, 1948. The dress was made by her sister-in-law Ursula, a seamstress. She made the dress in Berlin and brought it to Bergen Belsen during a visit to friends in Bavaria. The British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it became a DP camp. Hans and Alice were aid workers when they met and married. Alice and her family were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. Alice left for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her mother, father, and brother were murdered in Auschwitz in 1943. Hans was also from Berlin. In February 1943, Hans was a slave laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. On August 29, 1949, John and Alice, then pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States.

Yellow sport short listing concentration camps where the owner was imprisoned

Object

Yellow polo shirt that belonged to Hans Finke, a concentration camp survivor who became an aid worker after the war. The shirt was made for a survivor's reunion Hans attended after the war. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. Jews were forced out of their jobs and their businesses were confiscated. In February 1943, Hans, 23, an electrician by trade, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Star of David patch worn by a German Jewish concentration camp inmate

Object

Judenstern badge worn by Hans Finke, a concentration camp survivor who became an aid worker after the war. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. Jews were forced out of their jobs and their businesses were confiscated. In February 1943, Hans, 23, an electrician by trade, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

UNRRA embroidered patch worn by a survivor and DP camp relief worker

Object

Circular, red, UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) patch worn by Hans Finke (later John Fink) when he worked for the organization as a store manager in a refugee center in Germany from 1946-47. Hans was a prisoner at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents, and his sister, Ursula, lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. Jews were required to wear the yellow stars beginning in September 1941. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Clip-on name tag worn postwar by a former concentration camp inmate

Object

Name tag in clip on holder worn after the war by Hans Finke, a concentration camp survivor who became an aid worker after the war. He was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp.Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Red UNRRA patch worn by a former concentration camp inmate and DP aid worker

Object

UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) arch patch worn by aid worker Hans Finke when he worked for UNRRA in 1946-47 as a store manager in a refugee center in postwar Germany. Hans was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. Jews were required to wear the yellow stars in September 1941. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

AJDC bar patch worn by a former concentration camp inmate and refugee aid worker

Object

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJDC) badge worn by aid worker Hans Finke when he worked for the relief organization after the end of World War II. He was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Name tag worn postwar by a former concentration camp inmate

Object

Name tag worn postwar by Hans Finke, a concentration camp inmate who became an aid worker after the war. He was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Embroidered, red UNRRA worn by a former concentration camp inmate and DP relief worker

Object

UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) bar patch worn by aid worker Hans Finke when he worked for the United Nations as a store manager in postwar Germany. He was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Blue AJDC patch worn by a former concentration camp inmate and refugee aid worker

Object

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJDC) patch worn by aid worker Hans Finke when he worked for relief organization after the end of World War II. He was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Blue AJDC pin worn by a former concentration camp inmate and refugee aid worker

Object

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJDC) blue enamel pin worn by aid worker Hans Finke when he worked for relief organization after the end of World War II. He was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Globe-shaped UNRRA pin worn by a former concentration camp inmate and refugee aid worker

Object

UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) globe shaped pin worn by aid worker Hans Finke when he worked for the United Nations as a store manager in postwar Germany. He was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Jewish Relief Unit Star of David pin worn by a German Jewish nurse working in a DP camp

Object

Jewish Relief Unit pin worn by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice and her family were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding. Hans was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp.

Silver UNRRA pin worn by a former concentration camp inmate and refugee aid worker

Object

UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) logo shaped pin worn by aid worker Hans Finke when he worked for the United Nations as a store manager in postwar Germany. He was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Commemorative pin worn postwar by a former concentration camp inmate and refugee aid worker

Object

Commemorative stickpin worn postwar by Hans Finke, a concentration camp inmate who became an aid worker after the war. It has an inverted red triangle on a blue and gray striped field representing concentration camp uniforms. Hans was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Star of David stickpin worn postwar by a former concentration camp inmate and refugee aid worker

Object

Commemorative stickpin worn postwar by Hans Finke, a concentration camp inmate who became an aid worker after the war. It has a Star of David on a blue and white striped field representing the flag of Israel. Hans was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. In February 1943, Hans, 23, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Buna-Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated.in April 1945. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Monaural stethoscope used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and aid worker

Object

Monaural aluminum Pinard fetal stethoscope used by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the Bergen Belsen displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for Bergen-Belsen DP camp to care for children and young women. Before the war, Alice lived with her parents in Berlin, Germany, through the rise of the Nazi dictatorship with its increasingly harsh anti-Jewish policies. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the DP camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding. Hans was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp.

Medical field sterilizer kit used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and postwar aid worker

Object

Medical field sterilizer kit with container and strainer tray, ethanol burner, instruments, a boxed set of 2 bottles of Lobelin used by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the Bergen Belsen displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for Bergen-Belsen DP camp to care for children and young women. Before the war, Alice lived with her parents in Berlin, Germany, through the rise of the Nazi dictatorship with its increasingly harsh anti-Jewish policies. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the DP camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding. Hans was at Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army on April 15, 1945. An electrician by trade, he began working for the British and then various aid groups after it became a displaced persons camp.

Oral history interview with John Fink

Oral History

Reminiscences from Belsen survivor gatherings in Germany, New York, and Israel along with Kristallnacht commemorations

Oral History

Alice and John Fink papers

Document

The Alice and John Fink papers include biographical materials, photographs, printed materials, and subject files documenting Alice and John, their families in Germany, Alice’s nursing education and work in England, John’s survival in concentration camps during the Holocaust, and the couple’s work at the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp after the war. Biographical materials include identification, education, employment, displaced persons, and restitution papers documenting John and Alice Fink as well as their ketubah. John Fink materials include his Bar Mitzvah certificate, school report cards, apprentice certificate, identification and work cards, correspondence, restitution claims, and a personal narrative documenting his childhood in Berlin, forced labor in the Siemens factory during the Holocaust, and post-war work for the British Red Cross and United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. Alice Fink materials include a school certificate, British passport, identification card, employment records, and registered nurse and midwife certificates documenting her childhood in Berlin, training as a nurse, prewar and wartime work in England, and postwar work at the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp. Photographic materials include two large and two small photo albums and many loose photographs depicting Alice and John Fink, their families in prewar Berlin, and their postwar work at the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp. This series includes copy prints of liberation photographs of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Color photographs depict the Blankenese children’s home after it became the Elsa Brändström Haus. Printed materials include postwar issues of Jüdisches Gemeindeblatt für die Nord-Rheinprovinz und Westfalen, Our Voice: Central Jewish Committee, and Jüdisches Gemeindeblatt für die Britische Zone; photocopied clippings about the Holocaust; a 1983 issue of AJR Information; and 1991-1992 issues of ORT-Deutschland Magazin. Subject files include clippings, correspondence, notes, printed materials, postcards, and testimony. The files document the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and its liberation, Gyuszi Szabo (a Hungarian Jew living in Rotterdam at the outbreak of World War II), Holocaust commemoration, a Holocaust art exhibition at Indiana University Bloomington, the Landwerk Neuendorf hachshara, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Blankenese children’s home (Elsa Brandstrom Haus).

Star of David patch worn by a German Jewish concentration camp inmate

Object

Judenstern badge worn by Hans Finke, a concentration camp survivor who became an aid worker after the war. Hans, his parents and his sister Ursula lived in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 with its aggressive anti-Jewish policies. Jews were forced out of their jobs and their businesses were confiscated. In February 1943, Hans, 23, an electrician by trade, was a forced laborer for Siemens when he was hospitalized with appendicitis. On February 29, his parents were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. On March 8, the Gestapo raided the hospital and arrested staff and patients. Hans was transported to Monowitz concentration camp, and later sent to Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Hans was in Bergen-Belsen when it was liberated by the British Army. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, but his sister Ursula survived in hiding. Bergen-Belsen became a displaced persons camp and Hans began working for the British and then various aid groups. He met Alice Redlich, who had left Berlin for England in 1938 to continue her nurses's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen DP camp in Germany. Her family was murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the camp. The couple, with Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Pouch and medical instruments used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and postwar aid worker

Object

Medical kit and contents used by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice and her family were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding.

Medical bag and supplies used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and aid worker

Object

Bag and medical suppliesused by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice and her family were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding.

Needle packet used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and aid worker

Object

Needle packet used by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice and her family were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding.

Box and needles used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and aid worker

Object

Box and needles used by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice and her family were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding.

Box and needles used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and aid worker

Object

Box and needles used by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice and her family were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding.

Bag and supplies used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and aid worker

Object

Bag and contents used by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice and her family were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding.

Container used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and aid worker

Object

Container used by Alice Redlich while she served as a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former concentration camp in Germany after the war. The British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, and it then became a DP camp. Alice and her family were German Jews living in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi dictatorship. In 1938, 18 year old Alice left for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, she left for the Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding.

Trunk used by a German Jewish refugee nurse and aid worker

Object

Wooden trunk used by John and Alice Redlich Fink for travel to the US. Alice was a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former Bergen Belsen concentration camp in Germany after the war. Alice left Nazi Germany in 1938 for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen dp camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.

Trunk used by a former German Jewish concentration camp inmate and aid worker

Object

Wooden trunk used by John and Alice Redlich Fink for travel to the US. Alice was a nurse at the displaced persons camp established in the former Bergen Belsen concentration camp in Germany after the war. Alice left Nazi Germany in 1938 for England to continue her nurse's training. She volunteered with the Jewish Committee for Relief Abroad and, in September 1946, left for the Bergen-Belsen dp camp to care for children and young women. Her mother, father, brother, and grandmother were all murdered in Auschwitz. She met and married Hans Finke, a fellow German Jewish relief worker, at the camp in 1948. Hans had been a prisoner of Monowitz, Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenberg, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz and his sister survived in hiding. Alice and Hans married on June 20, 1948, in the DP camp. The couple, Alice pregnant with their first child, immigrated to the United States on August 29, 1949.