Overview
- Description
- The Fred and Ruth Cohen papers include biographical material, photographs, photo albums, and a personal narrative documenting the experiences of Fred and Ruth Cohen’s families in pre-war Germany and their immigration to the United States. Documents include statements of birth for David and Martha Cohen, marriage documentation for David and Martha, and a copy of a death certificate for Benjamin Cohen. Photographs and albums mainly include pre-war photographs of Ruth and her family in Germany, including in Stuttgart. Also included is an early 1990s handwritten personal narrative by Lotte, Ruth’s sister, recounting her childhood and her family's wartime experiences.
- Date
-
inclusive:
circa 1920-1992
bulk: 1920-1942
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum collection, gift of Steven Cohen
- Collection Creator
- Fred Cohen
- Biography
-
Fred (Fritz) Cohen (1914-1981) was born on October 12, 1914 in Eschwege, Germany to David and Martha Cohen. David was born on October 15, 1988 near Leer, Germany to Benjamin and Eva Cohen, and Martha was born in 1888 in Eschwege, Germany to Michael and Fanny Katzenstein. In 1938, Fred married Ruth Cohen (née Loewenstein). Ruth was born on December 27, 1912 in Netra, Germany to Sigfried (d. 1917?) and Bertha Loewenstein and had two sisters, Lotte (b. 1914) and Edith. Fred was a farmer and wholesaler in Eschwege on a farm owned by Sigfried. In 1936, Fred was sponsored by a New York City subway contractor as part of a Jewish sponsorship program and immigrated to the United States. Two years later, Ruth was sponsored by Julius Levey, a Baltimore jeweler, and also immigrated to the United States. Siegfried obtained a visa through the lottery system of the US Consulate in Stuttgart and Lotte immigrated to Palestine via Holland in 1939. Bertha, Edith, and Martha perished in a concentration camp. Fred and Ruth had a son, Steven (b. 1943 in Baltimore, Maryland).
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Photographs. Personal narratives.
- Extent
-
1 oversize box
5 folders
3 book enclosures
- System of Arrangement
- Folder 1: Identification documents, 1922-1941
Folder 2: Personal narrative, 1992
Box 1: Album 1, 1920s-1930s
BE 1: Album 2, circa 1930s
BE 2: Album 3 1930s
BE 3: Album 4 1930s
Folders 3-4: Album 5 1920s-1930s
Folder 5: Loose photographs 1920s-1930s
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
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2019 by Steven Cohen, son of Fred and Ruth Cohen.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-04-04 15:40:12
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn708148
Download & Licensing
In-Person Research
- Available for Research
- Plan a Research Visit
-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
Bowie, MD