Brandwajn family papers

Vladimir Brandwajn was born on August 14, 1946, in Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp in Germany, to Rachmiel and Luba Goldziuk Brandwajn. Rachmiel was born on January 16, 1913, in Chelm, near Lublin, Poland. Luba was born on September 23, 1910, in Lomza. The couple met as university students in Warsaw around 1939. Following the German invasion of Poland, they relocated to the Soviet controlled eastern sector. The couple decided to marry in 1941 when Rachmiel was drafted into the Soviet Army. After the war ended in 1945, Luba and Rachmiel moved to Hohne, Germany, and then to Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp. Vladimir was the first baby born in the camp. He had one brother, Alexander, born on April 13, 1948, also in the camp. The next year, the family moved to Wroclaw, Poland, and in 1950 to Warsaw. His parents wished to move to the United States, but could not get US entry visas because of Rachmiel’s communist activities. His parents later emigrated to Israel where Rachmiel died in 1990 and Luba in 1998. Vladimir was arrested in 1968 for participating in the political protests against the oppressive communist government of Poland. In 1973, he left for Canada. Vladimir moved to San Francisco in 1982, where he married Claudia Greif.