10,000,000 Hungarian Pengo scrip

Shirt taken from an SS storeroom at a concentration camp by a Hungarian Jewish inmate and worn after liberation

Object

Men’s long-sleeved shirt taken from an SS storeroom at Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, by Steven (István) Vogel and worn for two days after liberation on May 5, 1945. Steven, an only child, grew up in Budapest, Hungary, with his parents Edmond and Vilma. In September 1939, during Steven’s last year of high school, Germany began World War II by invading Poland. In November 1940, Hungary officially joined the Axis alliance and began fighting alongside Germany. Initially, the alliance had little impact on Steven’s life, and he began law school in 1941. In February 1944, his father, Edmond, passed away due to kidney disease. On March 19, German forces occupied Hungary because the nation had tried to negotiate an armistice with the Allies. Steven and his mother were arrested on May 23, and taken to Gestapo headquarters. Steven and Vilma were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center in German-occupied Poland. Upon their arrival, Vilma was sent to the gas chambers and murdered. Steven was initially selected for forced labor at a coal mine, and then later at a Volkswagen factory. In April 1945, as the Red Army advanced on the region, the factory complex was evacuated. Steven was sent on a forced march through the snow and ice for several days before being put on a train to Mauthausen. Shortly after his arrival, the camp was liberated by American troops. After liberation Steven made his way to Switzerland, before immigrating to the United States on November 3, 1945.

Leather belt taken from an SS storeroom at a concentration camp and worn by a Hungarian Jewish inmate after liberation

Object

Leather belt taken from an SS storeroom at Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, by Steven (István) Vogel and worn for two days after liberation on May 5, 1945. Steven, an only child, grew up in Budapest, Hungary, with his parents Edmond and Vilma. In September 1939, during Steven’s last year of high school, Germany began World War II by invading Poland. In November 1940, Hungary officially joined the Axis alliance and began fighting alongside Germany. Initially, the alliance had little impact on Steven’s life, and he began law school in 1941. In February 1944, his father, Edmond, passed away due to kidney disease. On March 19, German forces occupied Hungary because the nation had tried to negotiate an armistice with the Allies. Steven and his mother were arrested on May 23, and taken to Gestapo headquarters. Steven and Vilma were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center in German-occupied Poland. Upon their arrival, Vilma was sent to the gas chambers and murdered. Steven was initially selected for forced labor at a coal mine, and then later at a Volkswagen factory. In April 1945, as the Red Army advanced on the region, the factory complex was evacuated. Steven was sent on a forced march through the snow and ice for several days before being put on a train to Mauthausen. Shortly after his arrival, the camp was liberated by American troops. After liberation Steven made his way to Switzerland, before immigrating to the United States on November 3, 1945.

Steven Vogel papers

Document

The collection documents the Holocaust experiences of Steven Vogel of Budapest, Hungary including his deportations to the Auschwitz-Birkenau and Mauthausen concentration camps and his immigration to the United States in 1945. Included are pre-war identification documents of Steven, his parents Ödön and Vilma (née Deutsch) Vogel, and other relatives in the Vogel and Deutsch families; birth certificates; report cards; immigration paperwork; tax and selective service forms; family history; an oral history interview transcript; restitution claims; and correspondence. Included with the correspondence is a 1946 letter to Steven from Tomi Baratod describing their experiences at Auschwitz.

10,000,000 Hungarian Pengo scrip

Object