Overview
- Description
- The collection primarily consists of writings and research materials related to Holocaust survivor and scholar Eli Pfefferkorn, originally of Radzyń Podlaski, Poland. The bulk of the collection consists of articles and clippings, notes, and correspondence regarding several Holocaust-related topics, including the Claims Conference, Elie Wiesel, and the development of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Also included are project proposals and drafts of manuscripts, including Pfefferkorn’s unpublished manuscript on Elie Wiesel entitled “The Kaleidoscopic Persona of Elie Wiesel,” and drafts of his memoir “The Muselmann at the Water Cooler.” Personal and biographical material primarily concerns Pfefferkorn’s education at Brown University, employment matters, and restitution claims.
- Date
-
inclusive:
circa 1919-2016
undated:
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Estate of Eli Pfefferkorn
- Collection Creator
- Eli Pfefferkorn
- Biography
-
Eli Pfefferkorn (1928-2017, sometimes listed as Elias Kupiec) was born Elias Pfefferkorn on May 6, 1928 in Radzyń Podlaski, Poland to Szyja Pfefferkorn (b. 1909) and Rosa Pfefferkorn (née Kupiec, b. 1912).
After the invasion of Poland by Germany and Russia in September 1939, Eli remained in Radzyń Podlaski. In 1943 he was deported to the Międzyrzec Podlaski ghetto. From there Eli survived several camps, including Majdanek, Skarżysko-Kamienna labor camp, Sulejów labor camp, Częstochowa labor camp, Buchenwald, and Rehmsdorf. He was liberated from Rehmsdorf and went to the Föhrenwald and Feldafing displaced persons camps.
Eli immigrated to England after the war. In 1948 he immigrated to Israel. He received his B.A. and M.A. from Bar-Ilan University, and his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1971. He joined the faculty of Haifa University in 1972. Eli served as the director of research for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum from 1981-1987. He wrote and taught extensively about the Holocaust, and published his memoir, The Muselmann at the Water Cooler in 2011.
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Manuscripts. Correspondence. Clippings.
- Extent
-
10 boxes
1 oversize box
1 oversize folder
- System of Arrangement
- The collection is arranged as 5 series.
Series 1. Subject files and correspondence, circa 1919-2016, undated
Series 2. Claims Conference and restitution files, circa 1980-2013
Series 3. Elie Wiesel and USHMM, circa 1977-2016, undated
Series 4. Projects, proposals, and writings, 1970-2016, undated
Series 5. Personal papers and biographical material, circa 1945-2015, undated
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- Material(s) 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.
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Jews--Poland. Holocaust survivors. Education. Writers.
- Geographic Name
- Radzyn Podlaski (Poland) Israel.
- Personal Name
- Pfefferkorn, Eli. Wiesel, Elie, 1928-2016.
- Corporate Name
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018 by the estate of Eli Pfefferkorn.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-11-01 13:38:01
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn595079
Additional Resources
Download & Licensing
- In Copyright - Use Permitted
- Terms of Use
- This record is not digitized and cannot be downloaded online.
In-Person Research
- Request 7 Days in Advance of Visit
- Plan a Research Visit
-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
Bowie, MD
Contact Us
Also in Eli Pfefferkorn collection
Files containing the writings and research of Eli Pfefferkorn.
Music | Hebrew readings
Recorded Sound
