Overview
- Brief Narrative
- Rectangular, yellow patch worn by Irene Silberstein while imprisoned at the forced labor camp Merzdorf from December 1944 to May 1945. Irene had to sew it to her outerwear, cutting out the brown tweed from behind. This served as a deterrent for escaping; if she tried to remove it from her clothes, the cut out would be visible and she would be easily recognizable. In the fall of 1942, Irene, her father, and her grandmother were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. On September 28, 1944, Irene’s father was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Irene was deported there the following week, but her father had already been killed in the gas chambers. In early December, she was forced on a transport to Merzdorf in Poland. She worked in a linen mill, processing, spinning, and weaving flax. Irene was able to wrap some of the flax around her legs for extra warmth and eat some of the seeds when no one was looking. At night, they had to unload coal from trains, resulting in 16-hour workdays. Merzdorf was liberated by the Soviet army on May 8, 1945 and Irene made her way back to Berlin. After learning her grandmother had survived, Irene traveled to Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp, arriving in March 1946, the day after her grandmother left for Sweden. After a week in Deggendorf, she registered for passage to America, and arrived in New York on May 24, 1946.
- Date
-
use:
1944 December 10-1945 May 08
- Geography
-
use:
Maerzdorf (Concentration camp);
Marciszow (Poland)
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Irene Frank
- Contributor
-
Subject:
Irene S. Frank
- Biography
-
Irene Frank (nee Silberstein, b. 1927) was born in Berlin, Germany to Dr. Friedrich (Fritz) Silberstein (1890-1944) and Lotte Frank Silberstein (1903-1941). Friedrich fought for Germany in World War I, and received the Iron Cross first class for his service. Later, he inherited his father’s successful moving company. The family lived in an affluent neighborhood, and had many Gentile friends. They were not religious, and did not observe holidays or the Sabbath. Irene was an only child, and had a sheltered and pampered childhood.
On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. That same year, Irene began attending public school where she first experienced antisemitism. In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were passed. The laws defined a person as Jewish if they had three or four Jewish grandparents, regardless of their religious practices, and mandated the total separation of Jews and non-Jews. No longer able to attend public school, Irene’s parents enrolled her in a private Jewish school. In the wake of the violent, antisemitic, pogroms known as Kristallnacht, Irene’s school closed, and her parents enrolled her in an American school for diplomats’ children. On September 3, 1939, France and England declared war on Germany, leading the school to close after Irene’s first year.
The increasing restrictions, antisemitism, and violence led many people to leave Germany. Irene’s family was allowed to immigrate to the United States, but Friedrich’s reluctance to leave his mother alone in Germany caused him to delay their departure. Instead of escaping with his family, Friedrich’s moving company helped many others to move out of the country. Eventually, German authorities prohibited further emigration, forcing the family to remain in Berlin. In 1941, Friedrich’s moving business underwent Aryanization and was forcibly transferred to a non-Jew. Afterwards, he was forced into compulsory labor in a Bakelite factory. Irene’s mother, Lotte, was also forced into labor at a Siemens electronics factory. Never having worked outside of the home, this was very difficult for her. After Lotte's first day of work, she came home, overdosed on pills, and died in the hospital the following day.
Following Lotte’s death, Irene’s grandmother Belsora (Bella) Silberstein (1868-?) moved in with Irene and her father. In September 1942, Bella was deported to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Friedrich and Irene were also deported there on October 4. They were placed in separate housing, and Irene soon came down with scarlet fever. After a quarantine period, she was relocated to a youth home inside the camp and assigned to work in the agriculture fields outside the ghetto. Due to poor health conditions, Irene developed frostbite and contracted hepatitis for several months. The ghetto had a hospital and included some medical care, but disease, malnutrition, and illness were rampant in Theresienstadt.
On September 28, 1944, Friedrich was deported on Transport Ek to Auschwitz-Birkenau, in German-occupied Poland and Irene never saw him again. A week later, on October 6, Irene was taken to Auschwitz on Transport Eo. Upon arrival, she survived the selection process, which was overseen by Dr. Josef Mengele. She had her hair forcibly shaved, and received a men’s undershirt for clothing. She was assigned to a barrack with1,500 other people who slept 10 to a bed. They had to stand outside every day for hours at a time.
In early December, Irene and 100 other women were forced on a transport with a group from the men’s section. After stopping to disembark the men, the women were taken to Merzdorf, a forced labor subcamp of Gross-Rosen. They joined another 300 women processing, spinning, and weaving flax in a linen mill for Kramsta-Methner und Frahne AG. Irene worked on one of the processing machines, and was able to wrap some of the flax around her legs for extra warmth and eat some of the seeds when no one was looking. At night, they had to unload coal from trains, resulting in 16-hour workdays. The women were counted every morning and night, and many of them died from malnourishment.
On May 2, 1945, Irene was working at the machine when she heard Germany surrendered. The SS soon abandoned the camp, and locked the prisoners in the factory. Merzdorf was liberated by the Soviet army on May 8. Some of the soldiers soon began sexually assaulting some of the prisoners, killing two. Irene and four friends fled to a nearby abandoned farmhouse and hid in the barn for a night. The following morning, they left the camp, walking and hitchhiking until they reached Dresden. From there, Irene got a ride on an Army truck to Berlin and snuck into the city.
Irene then went to the Jewish hospital, and sought out a distant cousin who worked as an operating nurse. While living in Berlin, she met a friend from Theresienstadt and Auschwitz, who had just come from Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp. He informed her that her grandmother had survived and was there. Irene traveled to Munich, with help from the Red Cross, and arrived at Deggendorf in March 1946. The day before Irene arrived, her grandmother was sent to Sweden for medical care. Although she missed her grandmother, Irene met several people she knew from Theresienstadt, and made some new friends, including Heinz Frankenstein (1918-2002). After about a week in Deggendorf, Irene registered for passage to America, paid for by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (the Joint). On May 14, 1946, Irene sailed from Bremen, Germany.
After arriving in New York City, the Joint housed the refugees in the Hotel Marseilles. Irene soon got a job working for a dressmaker and moved into a furnished room. Since Irene had some English skills, she was able to get a job working in a patent office. Following her recuperation in Sweden, Belsora traveled to New York in July, where she and Irene reunited. Belsora then left New York for Mexico, where her daughter—Irene’s aunt—lived with her family. While living in New York, Irene built a tight-knit social circle with other Holocaust survivors. Among this circle was Heinz Frankenstein. He had changed his name to Henry Frank after arriving in the United States, and worked in the wholesale meat business. Irene and Henry married in April 1948, went on to have two children, and moved to New Jersey. They regularly visited local schools and gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Physical Details
- Classification
-
Identifying Artifacts
- Category
-
Badges
- Object Type
-
Prisoner badges (ushmm)
- Genre/Form
- Badges.
- Physical Description
- Long, thin, rectangular, dark yellow cloth patch with slightly wavering edges sewn to the center of a rectangular patch of brown wool tweed and an olive green backing cloth beneath. The edges of the yellow patch are neatly hemmed with black thread, the stitches visible on the front as a line border. It is attached to the larger tweed patch with a loose, tan basting stitch around the edges. The thick tweed has cut, frayed edges and is several shades of brown with a few single strands of bright green and bright blue woven in. The lightweight olive cloth beneath is attached with tan thread and the unfinished edges are frayed and unravelling. The edges of the tweed patch and cloth backer are cut unevenly, with bumps and dips where the olive cloth shows beyond the tweed one. On the back center, a long, oval-shaped slit with frayed, unfinished edges and tapered ends is cut through both layers, so the yellow bar is visible. A shiny, silver-colored metal safety pin is attached to the back right end of the yellow patch. The patch is worn and frayed with several loose or missing threads throughout.
- Dimensions
- overall: Height: 3.875 inches (9.843 cm) | Width: 7.750 inches (19.685 cm)
- Materials
- overall : cloth, wool, thread, metal
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The patch was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by Irene Frank.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-08-24 13:46:50
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn561059
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Also in Irene and Henry Frank family collection
The collection consists of patches, scrip, stamps, correspondence, documents, and photographs relating to the experiences of Henry and Irene Silberstein Frank and their relatives in Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Poland before and during the Holocaust, and in Germany and the United States after World War II.
Date: 1930-1992
Irene and Henry Frank papers
Document
The Irene and Henry Frank papers include correspondence, biographical materials, photographs, and Theresienstadt and Deggendorf materials documenting Irene and Henry Frank from Berlin, their survival in concentration and labor camps during the Holocaust, and their immigration to the United States in 1946. Correspondence primarily consists of messages from Henry’s mother, Anna, in Theresienstadt that were delivered to Henry at the Wulkow labor camp when supplies were delivered from Theresienstadt to Wulkow. Additional messages from Theresienstadt to Henry at Wulkow come from his sister, Inge, and his friends. The collection also includes a postwar letter from Dorothea Schonberg in Glasgow to Fritz Silberstein in Theresienstadt long after he had been transferred to Auschwitz and killed. Deggendorf materials include a photograph of a performance at the Deggendorf displaced persons camp, a torn tickets to an event at Deggendorf, and a picture postcard of Deggendorf. Henry Frank biographical materials include identification papers, certificates, and ration cards documenting his internment at Theresienstadt, postwar stay at the Deggendorf displaced persons camp, and immigration to the United States. Many of the records have adhesive and backing paper attached to them as they appear to have been removed from a scrapbook. Irene Frank biographical materials include identification papers documenting her status as a displaced person and victim of the Holocaust and a ticket documenting her immigration to the United States. Photographs depict Irene Frank’s arrival in New York aboard the SS Marine Perch, Theresienstadt, Deggendorf, and Holocaust memorials. Printed materials include 1975 and 1991 Theresienstadt reunion programs, a 1992 article describing Henry Frank’s Holocaust experiences, and clippings about Auschwitz. Belsora Silberstein biographical materials include her 1939 ID, 1946 displaced persons camp ID, and a vaccination card. The collection also includes picture postcards of Theresienstadt, many of which bear evidence of having been pasted into a scrapbook.
Factory-printed Star of David badge printed with Jood worn by a Jewish person
Object
Factory-printed Star of David badge, owned by a Jewish person in the Netherlands. Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940. On April 29, 1942, all Jews in the Netherlands were required to wear a badge, which consisted of a yellow Star of David with a black outline and the word “Jew” printed inside the star in Dutch. The badge was used to stigmatize and control the Jewish population. Duplicated from those printed in Germany, these badges were made by factories such as De Nijverheid, a formerly Jewish-owned firm in the Netherlands that printed a large amount of Dutch stars. In the summer of 1942, German officials began deporting Jews from the Netherlands—primarily from Westerbork transit camp—to Auschwitz in German-occupied Poland. Although a number of Jews went into hiding with the assistance of the Dutch underground, less than 25 percent of Jews from the Netherlands survived the Holocaust.
Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp scrip, 1 krone note, belonging to a German Jewish inmate
Object
Scrip, valued at 1 krone, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein (later Henry Frank) in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia between January 1943 and May 1945. At Theresienstadt, currency was confiscated from inmates and replaced with scrip, which could only be used in the camp. The scrip was part of an elaborate illusion to make the camp seem normal and appear as though workers were being paid for their labor, but the money had no real monetary value. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to a camp near the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. Heinz immigrated to the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp scrip, 2 kronen note, belonging to a German Jewish inmate
Object
Scrip, valued at 2 kronen, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein (later Henry Frank) in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia between January 1943 and May 1945. At Theresienstadt, currency was confiscated from inmates and replaced with scrip, which could only be used in the camp. The scrip was part of an elaborate illusion to make the camp seem normal and appear as though workers were being paid for their labor, but the money had no real monetary value. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to a camp near the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. Heinz immigrated to the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp scrip, 5 kronen note, belonging to a German Jewish inmate
Object
Scrip, valued at 5 kronen, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein (later Henry Frank) in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia between January 1943 and May 1945. At Theresienstadt, currency was confiscated from inmates and replaced with scrip, which could only be used in the camp. The scrip was part of an elaborate illusion to make the camp seem normal and appear as though workers were being paid for their labor, but the money had no real monetary value. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to a camp near the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. Heinz immigrated to the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp scrip, 10 kronen note, belonging to a German Jewish inmate
Object
Scrip, valued at 10 kronen, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein (later Henry Frank) in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia between January 1943 and May 1945. At Theresienstadt, currency was confiscated from inmates and replaced with scrip, which could only be used in the camp. The scrip was part of an elaborate illusion to make the camp seem normal and appear as though workers were being paid for their labor, but the money had no real monetary value. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to a camp near the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. Heinz immigrated to the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp scrip, 20 kronen note, belonging to a German Jewish inmate
Object
Scrip, valued at 20 kronen, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein (later Henry Frank) in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia between January 1943 and May 1945. At Theresienstadt, currency was confiscated from inmates and replaced with scrip, which could only be used in the camp. The scrip was part of an elaborate illusion to make the camp seem normal and appear as though workers were being paid for their labor, but the money had no real monetary value. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to a camp near the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. Heinz immigrated to the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp scrip, 50 kronen note, belonging to a German Jewish inmate
Object
Scrip, valued at 50 kronen, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein (later Henry Frank) in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia between January 1943 and May 1945. At Theresienstadt, currency was confiscated from inmates and replaced with scrip, which could only be used in the camp. The scrip was part of an elaborate illusion to make the camp seem normal and appear as though workers were being paid for their labor, but the money had no real monetary value. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to a camp near the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. Heinz immigrated to the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp scrip, 100 kronen note, belonging to a German Jewish inmate
Object
Scrip, valued at 100 kronen, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein (later Henry Frank) in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia between January 1943 and May 1945. At Theresienstadt, currency was confiscated from inmates and replaced with scrip, which could only be used in the camp. The scrip was part of an elaborate illusion to make the camp seem normal and appear as though workers were being paid for their labor, but the money had no real monetary value. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to a camp near the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. Heinz immigrated to the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Deggendorf displaced persons camp scrip, 10-cent note, acquired by a former German Jewish prisoner
Object
Scrip, valued at 10 cents, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein while he lived in the Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp after World War II. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf DP camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. On August 23, 1945, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) Team 55 took over management of the poorly run camp. They stabilized the food supply, secured housing facilities, established a community newspaper, and fostered a cultural life with lectures, concerts, and performances. The camp administration introduced currency, set up a banking system, and established a canteen to purchase items. These amenities provided Heinz with a comfortable life until the quota system allowed him to depart Deggendorf for the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Deggendorf displaced persons camp scrip, 10-cent note, acquired by a former German Jewish prisoner
Object
Scrip, valued at 10 cents, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein while he lived in the Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp after World War II. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf DP camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. On August 23, 1945, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) Team 55 took over management of the poorly run camp. They stabilized the food supply, secured housing facilities, established a community newspaper, and fostered a cultural life with lectures, concerts, and performances. The camp administration introduced currency, set up a banking system, and established a canteen to purchase items. These amenities provided Heinz with a comfortable life until the quota system allowed him to depart Deggendorf for the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Deggendorf displaced persons camp scrip, 1 dollar note, acquired by a former German Jewish prisoner
Object
Scrip, valued at 1 dollar, distributed to Heinz Frankenstein while he lived in the Deggendorf displaced persons (DP) camp after World War II. Heinz, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in June 1942. In 1943, Heinz was among 250 young men deported to Wulkow near Berlin for a work detail. After a year, Heinz returned to the ghetto to find that his mother and sisters were gone; all but one of his sisters was deported to and killed at Auschwitz. Heinz was then deported to the town of Hof in Germany for a month, before being force marched back to Theresienstadt. He reunited with his sister, Inge, and they were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9. Heinz and Inge went to Deggendorf DP camp in the American-occupied zone of Germany in June 1945. On August 23, 1945, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) Team 55 took over management of the poorly run camp. They stabilized the food supply, secured housing facilities, established a community newspaper, and fostered a cultural life with lectures, concerts, and performances. The camp administration introduced currency, set up a banking system, and established a canteen to purchase items. These amenities provided Heinz with a comfortable life until the quota system allowed him to depart Deggendorf for the United States in June 1946, and changed his name to Henry Frank. Henry belonged to a social circle with other Holocaust survivors, including Irene Silberstein, who he married in April 1948. They had two children and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust.
Czechoslovakian commemorative Theresienstadt Memorial postage stamp, 50h, acquired by a former German Jewish inmate
Object
Postage stamp commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto Memorial, acquired by Irene Silberstein Frank and Henry Frank, former inmates of Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Originally called the National Suffering Memorial, it was established in 1947 by the newly reinstated Czechoslovakian government and was renovated in 1975. The stamp depicts the large, granite, 7-branched menorah in the Jewish cemetery outside the crematorium building, along with flames, the red flowers planted in the 1945 National Cemetery, and barbed wire used to surround the ghetto. Henry, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in June 1942. He was deported on multiple work details before returning to the ghetto, where he reunited with his sister, Inge. Heinz and Inge were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9 1945. Irene, her father, and her grandmother were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in the fall of 1942. In December 1944, she was deported to Poland as a forced laborer until she was liberated by the Soviet army on May 8, 1945. After the war, Henry and Irene briefly met in Deggendorf displaced persons camp, and then again in New York City, where they belonged to the same social circle. The couple married in April 1948, had two children, and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust. In 1975, they attended a reunion commemorating the 30th anniversary of Theresienstadt’s liberation, and in 1991 attended a meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ghetto-labor camp’s establishment.
Czechoslovakian commemorative Theresienstadt Memorial postage stamp, 50h, acquired by a former German Jewish inmate
Object
Postage stamp commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto Memorial, acquired by Irene Silberstein Frank and Henry Frank, former inmates of Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Originally called the National Suffering Memorial, it was established in 1947 by the newly reinstated Czechoslovakian government and was renovated in 1975. The stamp depicts the large, granite, 7-branched menorah in the Jewish cemetery outside the crematorium building, along with flames, the red flowers planted in the 1945 National Cemetery, and barbed wire used to surround the ghetto. Henry, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in June 1942. He was deported on multiple work details before returning to the ghetto, where he reunited with his sister, Inge. Heinz and Inge were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9 1945. Irene, her father, and her grandmother were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in the fall of 1942. In December 1944, she was deported to Poland as a forced laborer until she was liberated by the Soviet army on May 8, 1945. After the war, Henry and Irene briefly met in Deggendorf displaced persons camp, and then again in New York City, where they belonged to the same social circle. The couple married in April 1948, had two children, and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust. In 1975, they attended a reunion commemorating the 30th anniversary of Theresienstadt’s liberation, and in 1991 attended a meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ghetto-labor camp’s establishment.
Czechoslovakian commemorative Theresienstadt Memorial postage stamp, 50h, acquired by a former German Jewish inmate
Object
Postage stamp commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto Memorial, acquired by Irene Silberstein Frank and Henry Frank, former inmates of Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Originally called the National Suffering Memorial, it was established in 1947 by the newly reinstated Czechoslovakian government and was renovated in 1975. The stamp depicts the large, granite, 7-branched menorah in the Jewish cemetery outside the crematorium building, along with flames, the red flowers planted in the 1945 National Cemetery, and barbed wire used to surround the ghetto. Henry, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in June 1942. He was deported on multiple work details before returning to the ghetto, where he reunited with his sister, Inge. Heinz and Inge were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9 1945. Irene, her father, and her grandmother were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in the fall of 1942. In December 1944, she was deported to Poland as a forced laborer until she was liberated by the Soviet army on May 8, 1945. After the war, Henry and Irene briefly met in Deggendorf displaced persons camp, and then again in New York City, where they belonged to the same social circle. The couple married in April 1948, had two children, and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust. In 1975, they attended a reunion commemorating the 30th anniversary of Theresienstadt’s liberation, and in 1991 attended a meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ghetto-labor camp’s establishment.
Czechoslovakian commemorative Theresienstadt Memorial postage stamp, 50h, acquired by a former German Jewish inmate
Object
Postage stamp commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto Memorial, acquired by Irene Silberstein Frank and Henry Frank, former inmates of Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Originally called the National Suffering Memorial, it was established in 1947 by the newly reinstated Czechoslovakian government and was renovated in 1975. The stamp depicts the large, granite, 7-branched menorah in the Jewish cemetery outside the crematorium building, along with flames, the red flowers planted in the 1945 National Cemetery, and barbed wire used to surround the ghetto. Henry, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in June 1942. He was deported on multiple work details before returning to the ghetto, where he reunited with his sister, Inge. Heinz and Inge were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9 1945. Irene, her father, and her grandmother were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in the fall of 1942. In December 1944, she was deported to Poland as a forced laborer until she was liberated by the Soviet army on May 8, 1945. After the war, Henry and Irene briefly met in Deggendorf displaced persons camp, and then again in New York City, where they belonged to the same social circle. The couple married in April 1948, had two children, and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust. In 1975, they attended a reunion commemorating the 30th anniversary of Theresienstadt’s liberation, and in 1991 attended a meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ghetto-labor camp’s establishment.
Czechoslovakian commemorative Theresienstadt Memorial postage stamp, 50h, acquired by a former German Jewish inmate
Object
Postage stamp commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto Memorial, acquired by Irene Silberstein Frank and Henry Frank, former inmates of Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Originally called the National Suffering Memorial, it was established in 1947 by the newly reinstated Czechoslovakian government and was renovated in 1975. The stamp depicts the large, granite, 7-branched menorah in the Jewish cemetery outside the crematorium building, along with flames, the red flowers planted in the 1945 National Cemetery, and barbed wire used to surround the ghetto. Henry, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in June 1942. He was deported on multiple work details before returning to the ghetto, where he reunited with his sister, Inge. Heinz and Inge were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9 1945. Irene, her father, and her grandmother were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in the fall of 1942. In December 1944, she was deported to Poland as a forced laborer until she was liberated by the Soviet army on May 8, 1945. After the war, Henry and Irene briefly met in Deggendorf displaced persons camp, and then again in New York City, where they belonged to the same social circle. The couple married in April 1948, had two children, and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust. In 1975, they attended a reunion commemorating the 30th anniversary of Theresienstadt’s liberation, and in 1991 attended a meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ghetto-labor camp’s establishment.
Czechoslovakian commemorative Theresienstadt Memorial postage stamp, 50h, acquired by a former German Jewish inmate
Object
Postage stamp commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto Memorial, acquired by Irene Silberstein Frank and Henry Frank, former inmates of Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Originally called the National Suffering Memorial, it was established in 1947 by the newly reinstated Czechoslovakian government and was renovated in 1975. The stamp depicts the large, granite, 7-branched menorah in the Jewish cemetery outside the crematorium building,along with flames, the red flowers planted in the 1945 National Cemetery, and barbed wire used to surround the ghetto. Henry, his mother, and two of his sisters were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in June 1942. He was deported on multiple work details before returning to the ghetto, where he reunited with his sister, Inge. Heinz and Inge were liberated by the Soviet army on May 9 1945. Irene, her father, and her grandmother were deported from Berlin to Theresienstadt in the fall of 1942. In December 1944, she was deported to Poland as a forced laborer until she was liberated by the Soviet army on May 8, 1945. After the war, Henry and Irene briefly met in Deggendorf displaced persons camp, and then again in New York City, where they belonged to the same social circle. The couple married in April 1948, had two children, and regularly gave talks about their experiences during the Holocaust. In 1975, they attended a reunion commemorating the 30th anniversary of Theresienstadt’s liberation, and in 1991 attended a meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ghetto-labor camp’s establishment.