Breth family papers

Fred Breth (1905-1986) was born Bedřich Breth in Königinhof, Austria-Hungary (now Dvůr Králové, Czech Republic) to Arnošt (Ernst, 1861-1942) and Hermine Loewy Breth (1867-1942). Fred’s sister Gertrude Breth Soudková (1893-1943) had a daughter, Dorothea Soudková (1929-1944) in Reichenberg, Czechoslovakia. Fred’s brothers Franz (Frank, 1897-1986) and Hans (1903-1942) were also born in Dvůr Králové nad Labem. Fred’s wife, Adele Langova (Adela, 1908-1988), was born in Třešť, Czech Republic to a Catholic family.

Fred and Adele decided to leave Czechoslovakia following the German annexation of Austria. Fred obtained his American visa on June 17, 1938, and he and Adele fled to Borås, Sweden on July 3. Fred immigrated to New York via the United Kingdom aboard the SS Ile de France, arriving on July 26. Adele gave birth to her son Steven in Borås on August 26, and they joined Fred in New York in November 1938 aboard the SS Drottningholm. Fred’s brother Franz and his wife Lena (1904-1979) left Czechoslovakia for Zagreb on August 25, 1938, then sailed from Amsterdam to Ecuador in November. The rest of their family perished in the Holocaust. Hans Breth was deported to Theresienstadt on November 30, 1941, transferred to Riga on January 9, 1942 and perished. Ernst and Hermine Breth were deported from Prague to Theresienstadt on July 23, 1942 on transport AAt. Hermine died in Theresienstadt on August 18, 1942. Ernst was transferred to Treblinka on October 19, 1942 and was killed. Gertrude and Dorothea were deported to Theresienstadt on December 17, 1942, and Gertrude died there of tuberculosis on January 17, 1943. Dorothea was transferred to Auschwitz on October 9, 1944 and perished.