Abraham and Lilly Malnik collection

Document | Not Digitized | Accession Number: 2016.291.1

Overview

Description: Consists of photographs, original documents, photocopies, research files, and clippings related to the wartime and post-war experiences of Abraham (Abe) (originally of Kovno, Lithuania) and Lilly (née Applebaum) Malnik (originally of Belgium) Includes wartime and post-war photographs from the Malnik and Applebaum families, oral history transcripts and biographical information, research about family history, and documentation of the Malniks’ involvement in the creation and support of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Date: inclusive: circa 1920-circa 2008
bulk: 1935-1950
bulk: 1992-2008
Credit Line: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Evan Malnik
Collection Creator: Abraham Malnik
Lilly Malnik
Biography: Abraham (Abe) Malnik was born on January 31, 1927, in Kovno, Lithuania, to Josef and Feiga Malnik. Josef worked as a barber and Feiga as a beautician. The family was economically comfortable and took advantage of the cosmopolitan life in Kaunas. In 1941, after the German occupation of Kovno, the family was forced into the ghetto. The family managed to survive for several years, thanks to Josef’s efforts to hide and shield them from deportations and mass shootings. In 1944, the family was deported to Stutthof, where Feiga died. Abraham and Josef were sent on to Dachau, then Flossenberg and Leitmeritz, where they performed forced labor in a mine. In the spring of 1945, they were sent on a forced march to Theresienstadt, where they were liberated. Abraham made his way to the Landsberg displaced persons camp and immigrated to the United States, arriving on the Marine Flasher on May 7, 1947. He met and married a Belgian survivor, Lilly Appelbaum. Abraham passed away on April 3, 2007.

Physical Details

Language: English Hebrew Lithuanian
Genre/Form: Photographs.
Extent: 3 boxes
System of Arrangement: The Malnik family papers are arranged as four series:
• Series 1: Biographical information, 1983-1993
• Series 2: Wartime documents, 1926-1942
• Series 3: Photographs, 1920-1985
• Series 4: Research, articles, and correspondence, 1976-2009

Rights & Restrictions

Conditions on Access: There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
Conditions on Use: Donor retains copyright of material created by the Malnik family. Other material in this collection may be protected by copyright and/or related rights. You do not require further permission from the Museum to use this material. The user is solely responsible for making a determination as to if and how the material may be used.
Copyright Holder: Mr. Evan Malnik

Keywords & Subjects

Topical Term: Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Belgium--Personal narratives. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Lithuania--Personal narratives. Jewish children in the Holocaust--Lithuania--Kaunas. Holocaust survivors--United States. Jewish ghettos--Lithuania--Kaunas.
Geographic Name: Belgium. Kaunas (Lithuania) Washington (D.C.)
Personal Name: Malnik, Abraham, 1927-2007. Malnik, Feiga. Malnik, Josef. Malnik, Lilly Appelbaum, 1928-
Corporate Name: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Administrative Notes

Holder of Originals: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Legal Status: Permanent Collection
Provenance: Evan Malnik donated his parents' collection to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013.