Overview
- Brief Narrative
- Hand-embroidered tablecloth decorated with whitework and needle lace owned by Cila Hausman Knaster when she, her husband Baruch Knaster, and their oldest daughter, Mirka Knaster, immigrated to the United States in November 1949. Cila and Baruch's families perished during the Holocaust. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp, and Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was later liberated. The couple met in a displaced persons camp and married in August 1946. Their daughter, Mirka, was born in May 1947, in a DP camp in Bari, Italy.
- Date
-
emigration:
approximately 1949
- Geography
-
emigration:
Europe
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Rebecca Knaster
- Contributor
-
Subject:
Cila Knaster
Original owner: Cila Knaster
- Biography
-
Cila Knaster (1908-2007) was born Esther Cila Hausman on December 22, 1908 in Jasionowka, Poland. In 1942, Cila’s mother Merka Levine Hausman (1883-1942), her husband Jossel Radzi (Yossl Radzi, 1909-1942), and their two children Razel Radzi (1935-1942) and Sholomas Radzi (1939-1942) were taken away and likely shot by Nazis. Cila Knaster survived the Holocaust.
After the war, Cila met Baruch Knaster in a displaced persons camp and they married on August 20, 1946. Their daughter, Mirka Knaster, was born on May 11, 1947 in a DP camp in Bari, Italy. Their second daughter is Rebecca Knaster. The Knaster family immigrated to the United States aboard the SS Marine Jumper, arriving on November 21, 1949. Baruch Knaster died in 2001. Cila Knaster died on December 20, 2007.
Physical Details
- Classification
-
Furnishings and Furniture
- Category
-
Household linens
- Object Type
-
Tablecloths (lcsh)
- Genre/Form
- Needlework.
- Physical Description
- Rectangular, lightweight, off white linen tablecloth with a decorative, floral and geometric, cutwork band around the plain, rectangular center and a handkerchief hem along the edge. In each corner of the inner band, there is a quatrefoil-shaped, floral, needle lace medallion at the center of a square with cutwork borders. A satin-stitched flower, leaves, and dots accent each corner of the square. Between the squares, the band consists of a repeating line of elongated and stylized tulip-like, cutwork flowers separated by satin-stitched dots and lines. At the center of each long side, there is an additional oblong needle lace medallion framed by cutwork segments and satin-stitched flowers and dots. There are several handwritten and stamped, black ink numbers, possibly laundry marks, in the corners. There are small, brown stains along the border and at the lower, center section of the tablecloth.
- Dimensions
- overall: Height: 68.250 inches (173.355 cm) | Width: 101.125 inches (256.858 cm)
- Materials
- overall : linen, thread, ink
- Inscription
- front, lower right corner, handwritten, black ink : 125
front, upper right corner, stamped, black ink : 1575
front, upper left corner, stamped, black ink : 183 / 1575 / 133
front, lower left corner, handwritten, black ink : 132
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
- Geographic Name
- Łódź (Poland) Bari (Italy) Santa Caterina (Italy)
- Personal Name
- Knaster, Cila, 1908-2007.
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The tablecloth was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018 by Rebecca Knaster, the daughter of Baruch and Cila Knaster.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-03-02 14:18:30
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn613462
Also in Baruch and Cila Knaster collection
The collection consists of a suitcase, a pair of earrings, a skirt, hand-embroidered linens, a doily, handknit baby clothing, documents, and photographs relating to the experiences of Baruch and Cila Hausman Knaster and their families in Poland before and during the Holocaust, and relating to their and their daughter Mirka's experiences in a displaced persons camp in Italy after the war.
Date: approximately 1943-approximately 1952
Lightweight valise used by Cila and Baruch Knaster when they immigrated
Object
Lightweight, cardboard valise carried by Cila Hausman Knaster and her husband Baruch Knaster when they, and their oldest daughter, Mirka Knaster, immigrated to the United States in November 1949. Cila and Baruch's families perished during the Holocaust. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp, and Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was later liberated. The couple met in a displaced persons camp and married in August 1946. Their daughter, Mirka, was born in May 1947, in a DP camp in Bari, Italy.
Pair of hinged hoop earrings owned by Cila Knaster
Object
Hinged hoop earrings owned by Cila Hausman Knaster when she, her husband, Baruch Knaster, and their oldest daughter, Mirka Knaster, immigrated to the United States in November 1949. Cila and Baruch's families perished during the Holocaust. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp, and Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was later liberated. The couple met in a displaced persons camp and married in August 1946. Their daughter, Mirka, was born in May 1947, in a DP camp in Bari, Italy.
Oval-shaped, embroidered whitework and cutwork table runner owned by Cila Knaster
Object
Hand-embroidered table runner decorated with whitework and cutwork owned by Cila Hausman Knaster when she, her husband, Baruch Knaster, and their oldest daughter, Mirka Knaster, immigrated to the United States in November 1949. Cila and Baruch's families perished during the Holocaust. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp, and Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was later liberated. The couple met in a displaced persons camp and married in August 1946. Their daughter, Mirka, was born in May 1947, in a DP camp in Bari, Italy.
Circular, crocheted, floral and geometric doily owned by Cila Knaster
Object
Crocheted doily decorated with floral and geometric elements owned by Cila Hausman Knaster when she, her husband, Baruch Knaster, and their oldest daughter, Mirka Knaster, immigrated to the United States in November 1949. Cila and Baruch's families perished during the Holocaust. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp, and Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was later liberated. The couple met in a displaced persons camp and married in August 1946. Their daughter, Mirka, was born in May 1947, in a DP camp in Bari, Italy.
Pink child's sweater and bonnet set knit by Cila Knaster and worn by Mirka Knaster
Object
Matching, pink child's sweater and bonnet made by Cila Hausman Knaster for her daughter, Mirka Knaster, to wear in Bari Transit camp from 1947 to 1949. Cila and her husband, Baruch Knaster's, families perished during the Holocaust. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp, and Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was later liberated. The couple met in a displaced persons camp and married in August 1946. Their daughter, Mirka, was born in May 1947, in a DP camp in Bari, The Knaster family immigrated to the United States in November 1949.
Brown checkered, A-line skirt owned by Cila Knaster
Object
Brown checkered skirt carried by Cila Hausman Knaster and her husband Baruch Knaster when they, and their oldest daughter, Mirka Knaster, immigrated to the United States in November 1949. Cila and Baruch's families perished during the Holocaust. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp, and Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was later liberated. The couple met in a displaced persons camp and married in August 1946. Their daughter, Mirka, was born in May 1947, in a DP camp in Bari, Italy.
Child's striped yellow vest knit by Cila Knaster and worn by Mirka Knaster
Object
Child's striped yellow vest made by Cila Hausman Knaster for her daughter, Mirka Knaster, to wear in Bari Transit camp from 1947 to 1949. Cila and her husband, Baruch Knaster's, families perished during the Holocaust. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp, and Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was later liberated. The couple met in a displaced persons camp and married in August 1946. Their daughter, Mirka, was born in May 1947, in a DP camp in Bari, The Knaster family immigrated to the United States in November 1949.
Hand-embroidered floral tablecloth with cutwork elements owned by Cila Knaster
Object
Hand-embroidered tablecloth decorated with floral whitework and cutwork owned by Cila Hausman Knaster when she, her husband Baruch Knaster, and their oldest daughter, Mirka Knaster, immigrated to the United States in November 1949. Cila and Baruch's families perished during the Holocaust. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp, and Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was later liberated. The couple met in a displaced persons camp and married in August 1946. Their daughter, Mirka, was born in May 1947, in a DP camp in Bari, Italy.
Baruch and Cila Knaster papers
Document
Contains pre-war photographs; post-war photographs of Displaced Persons camps; correpondence; and documents, including certificates and restitution papers, related to the Holocaust experiences of Baruch and Cila Knaster.