Brust family papers
The Brust family papers document the wartime and post-war experiences of Elek Brust, Livia Brust, and their daughter Eva Brust in Hungary and later the United States. The papers contain correspondence, identification and immigration papers, restitution paperwork, family photographs, and Eva’s poesie book / autograph book.
Biographical materials include identification documents, immigration documents and restitution paperwork. Items of note include two membership identification cards for the Dohány-utcai templomi (Dohany Street temple), 1935; identification papers for Elek Brust, 1941-1944; copy of death certificate for Szereu (Serena) Schwarcz, 1942; three Schutz-passes for the Brust family initiated by Raoul Wllenberg, August 24, 1994; two certificates issued by the Swedish embassy exempting Lilly and Eva Brust from wearing the yellow star, August 24, 1944; a transfer ticket for Elek and Eva Brust, 1944; a certificate of release for Elek Brust, September 22, 1944; reissued birth certificates for Elek Brust and Eva Brust, 1946; applications for nonimmigrant visas for Elek, Livia, and Eva Brust, May 19, 1947; Elek Brust’s United States declaration of intention, May 2, 1952; naturalization certificate for Elek Brust, 1953; copy of two death certificates: Elek Brust, February 1, 1957, and Adolf Schwarcz, March 31, 1959; an inventory of Brust family household goods, undated; and restitution paperwork for the Brust family, 1961,1993-1994.
The correspondence series includes letters and postcards written in Hungarian by Elek Brust to his wife Livia Brust, 1933-1942; postcards; and letters relating to immigration, passports, and property in Hungary, 1946-1955. The financial materials series includes a bank deposit book, 1938-1944. A drawing of the Brust family bookplate is also include among the papers.
The printed materials series include a newspaper clipping; segments of three unknown songbooks, undated; the passenger list of the R.M.S. Mauretania, May 21, 1947; and the 82nd Congress, 1st Session H. Con. Res. 145 document dated July 26, 1951, which grants the status of permanent resident of the United States to the Brust family.
The Brust family photographs include photographs of the Elek, Livia, and Eva Brust in Hungary, as well as various unidentified friends and family members, 1914-1951, bulk dates circa 1930s-1940s. Images of the grave of Béla Brust, an unidentified grave yard, and a rubble filled street are also included.
Eva Brust’s poesie book, 1942-1946, includes entries from friends and family members including Elek Brust, Eva Brust, Terez Pimler, Penter Panczno, Istvan Vogel, Geza Fischer, Rozsi Fischer, Marta Deutsch, Oskar Deutsch, Istvan Deutsch, Gyula Falkai, Gloria Hidveghy, Eva Penres, Eva Szerres, Panni Deveny, Edit Veres, Judith Szilagyi, and Zsuzsa Urbach.
- Date
-
inclusive:
1914-1955
- Extent
-
1 box
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Eva Brust Cooper
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Record last modified: 2021-11-23 09:39:32
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn699827
Also in Brust family collection
The collection consists of clothing, documents, photographs, and portraits related to the experiences of Livia, Elek, and Eva Brust, their family, and the Vogel and Schwarcz families in Hungary and the United States, before, during, and after the Holocaust.
Knit cardigan with decorative buttons and lining owned by a Hungarian Jewish woman
Object
Knit cardigan with novelty buttons used by Livia Brust (later Lilly Brust Gach) during World War II (1939-1945) in Hungary. Livia was living in Budapest, Hungary, with her husband, Elek, and their daughter, Eva, when Hungary joined the German-led Axis Alliance in November 1940. Elek was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Budapest and a prosperous manufacturer. Beginning in late 1940, Jewish males were required to do forced labor service and Elek was sent to a labor camp. Livia managed the business while he was gone, and eventually obtained his release with black market papers. In 1943, Elek was conscripted again, and not released until March 1944. Later that month, German troops marched into Budapest. German authorities severely restricted Jewish life, and began deporting Hungarian Jews. In late August, Livia, Elek, and Eva obtained Swedish protective passes from Raoul Wallenberg. However, in October, they decided it was safer to go into hiding. They stayed in several places in the city, even as Soviet bombardment increased and there were power outages and food shortages. Eventually, they joined a family friend in the countryside. They hid in many places there, and were in the town of Érd when Budapest was liberated in February 1945. Most of Livia and Elek's family members perished. As Soviet control of postwar Hungary increased, the Brust family decided to leave. They sailed from England on May 27, 1947, and settled in New York City, where Livia's parents and brother had relocated in 1939 and 1941, respectively.
Pink chemise with corded, floral lace appliques owned by a Hungarian Jewish woman
Object
Chemise with corded lace appliques used by Livia Brust (later Lilly Brust Gach) during World War II (1939-1945) in Hungary. Livia was living in Budapest, Hungary, with her husband, Elek, and their daughter, Eva, when Hungary joined the German-led Axis Alliance in November 1940. Elek was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Budapest and a prosperous manufacturer. Beginning in late 1940, Jewish males were required to do forced labor service and Elek was sent to a labor camp. Livia managed the business while he was gone, and eventually obtained his release with black market papers. In 1943, Elek was conscripted again, and not released until March 1944. Later that month, German troops marched into Budapest. German authorities severely restricted Jewish life, and began deporting Hungarian Jews. In late August, Livia, Elek, and Eva obtained Swedish protective passes from Raoul Wallenberg. However, in October, they decided it was safer to go into hiding. They stayed in several places in the city, even as Soviet bombardment increased and there were power outages and food shortages. Eventually, they joined a family friend in the countryside. They hid in many places there, and were in the town of Érd when Budapest was liberated in February 1945. Most of Livia and Elek's family members perished. As Soviet control of postwar Hungary increased, the Brust family decided to leave. They sailed from England on May 27, 1947, and settled in New York City, where Livia's parents and brother had relocated in 1939 and 1941, respectively.
Peach nightgown decorated with embroidery owned by a Hungarian Jewish woman
Object
Nightgown with decorative embroidery used by Livia Brust (later Lilly Brust Gach) during World War II (1939-1945) in Hungary. Livia was living in Budapest, Hungary, with her husband, Elek, and their daughter, Eva, when Hungary joined the German-led Axis Alliance in November 1940. Elek was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Budapest and a prosperous manufacturer. Beginning in late 1940, Jewish males were required to do forced labor service and Elek was sent to a labor camp. Livia managed the business while he was gone, and eventually obtained his release with black market papers. In 1943, Elek was conscripted again, and not released until March 1944. Later that month, German troops marched into Budapest. German authorities severely restricted Jewish life, and began deporting Hungarian Jews. In late August, Livia, Elek, and Eva obtained Swedish protective passes from Raoul Wallenberg. However, in October, they decided it was safer to go into hiding. They stayed in several places in the city, even as Soviet bombardment increased and there were power outages and food shortages. Eventually, they joined a family friend in the countryside. They hid in many places there, and were in the town of Érd when Budapest was liberated in February 1945. Most of Livia and Elek's family members perished. As Soviet control of postwar Hungary increased, the Brust family decided to leave. They sailed from England on May 27, 1947, and settled in New York City, where Livia's parents and brother had relocated in 1939 and 1941, respectively.
Lace-trimmed headband or cap owned by a Hungarian chambermaid
Object
Uniform headband belonging to a maid employed by Livia Brust (later Lilly Brust Gach) before and during World War II (1939-1945) in Hungary. Livia was living in Budapest, Hungary, with her husband, Elek, and their daughter, Eva, when Hungary joined the German-led Axis Alliance in November 1940. Elek was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Budapest and a prosperous manufacturer. Beginning in late 1940, Jewish males were required to do forced labor service and Elek was sent to a labor camp. Livia managed the business while he was gone, and eventually obtained his release with black market papers. In 1943, Elek was conscripted again, and not released until March 1944. Later that month, German troops marched into Budapest. German authorities severely restricted Jewish life, and began deporting Hungarian Jews. In late August, Livia, Elek, and Eva obtained Swedish protective passes from Raoul Wallenberg. However, in October, they decided it was safer to go into hiding. They stayed in several places in the city, even as Soviet bombardment increased and there were power outages and food shortages. Eventually, they joined a family friend in the countryside. They hid in many places there, and were in the town of Érd when Budapest was liberated in February 1945. Most of Livia and Elek's family members perished. As Soviet control of postwar Hungary increased, the Brust family decided to leave. They sailed from England on May 27, 1947, and settled in New York City, where Livia's parents and brother had relocated in 1939 and 1941, respectively.
Portrait of a young Hungarian Jewish girl
Object
Portrait of a young Eva Brust painted in 1943. Eva was living in Budapest, Hungary, with her parents, Elek and Livia, when Hungary joined the German-led Axis Alliance in November 1940. Her father, Elek, was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Budapest and a prosperous manufacturer. Beginning in late 1940, Jewish males were required to do forced labor service and Elek was sent to a labor camp. Her mother, Livia, managed the business while he was gone, and eventually obtained his release with black market papers. In 1943, Elek was conscripted again, and not released until March 1944. Later that month, German troops marched into Budapest. German authorities severely restricted Jewish life, and began deporting Hungarian Jews. In late August, Livia, Elek, and Eva obtained Swedish protective passes from Raoul Wallenberg. However, in October, they decided it was safer to go into hiding. They stayed in several places in the city, even as Soviet bombardment increased and there were power outages and food shortages. Eventually, they joined a family friend in the countryside. They hid in many places there, and were in the town of Érd when Budapest was liberated in February 1945. Most of Eva's extended family members perished. As Soviet control of postwar Hungary increased, the Brust family decided to leave. They sailed from England on May 27, 1947, and settled in New York City, where Eva's maternal grandparents, Adolf and Szeren, and uncle, Laszlo, had relocated in 1939 and 1941, respectively.
Portrait of a Hungarian Jewish woman
Object
Portrait of Livia Brust painted in 1943. Livia was living in Budapest, Hungary, with her husband, Elek, and their daughter, Eva, when Hungary joined the German-led Axis Alliance in November 1940. Elek was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Budapest and a prosperous manufacturer. Beginning in late 1940, Jewish males were required to do forced labor service and Elek was sent to a labor camp. Livia managed the business while he was gone, and eventually obtained his release with black market papers. In 1943, Elek was conscripted again, and not released until March 1944. Later that month, German troops marched into Budapest. German authorities severely restricted Jewish life, and began deporting Hungarian Jews. In late August, Livia, Elek, and Eva obtained Swedish protective passes from Raoul Wallenberg. However, in October, they decided it was safer to go into hiding. They stayed in several places in the city, even as Soviet bombardment increased and there were power outages and food shortages. Eventually, they joined a family friend in the countryside. They hid in many places there, and were in the town of Érd when Budapest was liberated in February 1945. Most of Livia and Elek's family members perished. As Soviet control of postwar Hungary increased, the Brust family decided to leave. They sailed from England on May 27, 1947, and settled in New York City, where Livia's parents, Adolf and Szeren, and brother, Laszlo, had relocated in 1939 and 1941, respectively.
Portrait of a female Hungarian Jewish Émigré
Object
Portrait of Szeren Schwarcz painted in 1943. Szeren was living in New York City, in the United States, with her husband, Adolf, when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and started World War II (1939-1945). Szeren and Adolf were originally from Budapest, Hungary, where they had raised two children, Livia and Laszlo, and Adolf had run a wholesale watch business. In 1934, the couple’s first grandchild, Eva, was born to Livia and her husband, Elek Brust. Starting in 1938, Hungary began passing anti-Jewish laws modeled after Germany’s 1935 Nuremberg laws. In April 1939, Szeren and Adolf visited the World’s Fair in the US. He was concerned about the aggressive actions being taken by Germany, and planned to settle in the US permanently. He did not tell Szeren because he knew that she never would have left. Adolf successfully reestablished his business in New York City. In June 1941, Hungary joined Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union. In August, Szeren and Adolf’s son, Laszlo, joined them in New York. On November 3, 1942, Szeren, died of cancer. German forces occupied Hungary on March 19, 1944. Livia’s family survived mass deportations by going into hiding in fall 1944. Soviet forces liberated Budapest on February 13, 1945. Most of Szeren and Adolf’s extended family members perished at concentration camps or were shot. In May 1947, Livia’s family immigrated to the US. They settled near Adolf, who gave Elek a job.
Portrait of a male Hungarian Jewish Émigré
Object
Portrait of Adolf Schwarcz painted in 1943. Adolf was living in New York City, in the United States, with his wife, Szeren, when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and started World War II (1939-1945). Adolf and Szeren were originally from Budapest, Hungary, where they had raised two children, Livia and Laszlo, and Adolf had run a wholesale watch business. In 1934, the couple’s first grandchild, Eva, was born to Livia and her husband, Elek Brust. Starting in 1938, Hungary began passing anti-Jewish laws modeled after Germany’s 1935 Nuremberg laws. In April 1939, Adolf and Szeren visited the World’s Fair in the US. He was concerned about the aggressive actions being taken by Germany, and planned to settle in the US permanently. He did not tell Szeren because he knew that she never would have left. Adolf successfully reestablished his business in New York City. In June 1941, Hungary joined Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union. In August, Adolf and Szeren’s son, Laszlo, joined them in New York. On November 3, 1942, Szeren, died of cancer. German forces occupied Hungary on March 19, 1944. Livia’s family survived mass deportations by going into hiding in fall 1944.Soviet forces liberated Budapest on February 13, 1945. Most of Adolf and Szeren’s extended family members perished at concentration camps or were shot. In May 1947, Livia’s family immigrated to the US. They settled near Adolf, who gave Elek a job.
