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Diary of Nelly Epstein

Document | Accession Number: 2018.611.1

The diary of Nelly Epstein includes entries, drawings, clippings, and maps written from January 1, 1935 - January 18, 1943. Nelly began the diary with entries about friends, family, and activities, such as travel, theater, and life in general in Vienna. In the later years, Nelly documented her journey with her husband Emil (Aryeh) Katscher and other young Zionists fleeing on vessels down the Danube River, across the Black Sea, through the Gallipoli Peninsula to the Aegean, and the Mediterranean Sea, and finally landing in Haifa, Palestine. The diary includes illustrations of their journey. Upon arrival, Nelly was interned for eight months in a British detention camp near Haifa. The diary ends with her husband's military deployment to Egypt and Poland.

Date
inclusive:  1935 January 01-1943 January 18
Language
German
Genre/Form
Diaries.
Extent
1 oversize box
Credit Line
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection. The acquisition of this collection was made possible by the Crown Family.

About This Document

Document Creator
Nelly Epstein
Biography
Nelly Epstein (1921-2013) was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia (currently Czech Republic) to Berthold Epstein (Berti or Bert, Vienna, Austria, 1883-1944) and Amelie Epstein (Elly, Brno, Czechoslovakia, 1894-1943) and had one brother, Hans (Brno, Czechoslovakia, 1925-1945). Nelly married Emil (Aryeh) Katscher (b. 1920) around 1939 or 1940. Around 1940 Nelly, Emil, and a group of young Zionists attempted to flee Czechoslovakia. They traveled via the Danube to the Black Sea and then to Palestine. Upon arrival Nelly was interned for eight months in a British-run detention camp near Haifa. In January 1943 Emil joined the military and was deployed to Egypt. The last news concerning her parents was a note from relatives stating that they had to travel to Poland in April 1942. Amelie and Berthold Epstein were killed in Auschwitz and Hans perished in Theresienstadt.
System of Arrangement
The Diary of Nelly Epstein is arranged as a single series.

Keywords and Subjects

Administrative History

Holder of Originals
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Legal Status
Permanent Collection
Provenance
The Nelly Epstein diary was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018.
Funding Note
The acquisition of this collection was made possible by the Crown Family.
The accessibility of this collection was made possible by the generous donors to our crowdfunded Save Their Stories campaign.

Rights and 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.

 
Record last modified: 2023-07-05 11:36:57
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn652242