Overview
- Description
- The collection consists of photographs documenting German-occupied Oświęcim, Poland, circa 1940-circa 1941, and refugees living in the Münchberg, Germany, displaced persons camp, circa 1946.
The photographs of Oświęcim include depictions of buildings, Jewish men forcibly having their beards and sidelocks (peyot) cut off, street scenes, and Jews clearing snow under the presence of a German soldier. Included are undated typed captions in Polish, and English translations of the captions produced in 2013.
The bulk of the photographs of Münchberg document a funeral and re-interment ceremony in 1946 for women who perished between the Helmbrechts subcamp of Flossenbürg and Münchberg on the death march that originated from the Schlesiersee subcamp of Gross-Rosen in January 1945 and terminated in Volary (Volary, Czech Republic) in May 1945. They were initially buried by area farmers in or near Münchberg. The ceremony was attended by DP camp refugees, American military service members, and members of the community from Münchberg. Other photographs include depictions of youth kibbutz activities, and members of the camp community, including Nathan Shapell, his wife Lilly Shapell, Max Webb, David Shapell, Mordchai Adler, and Joachim Komet.
Some of the Münchberg photographs also appear in the Max Webb photograph collection (USHMM, 2018.638.1), and the book Jidiszer Kraiz-komitet, Münchberg un Naila, 1945-1947, by Nathan Shapell (USHMM, HV640.5.J4 J83 1947). The book Witness to the Truth by Nathan Shapell (USHMM, D810.J4 S468 1974) provides detailed descriptions of the funeral at Münchberg and the kibbutz activities. - Date
-
inclusive:
circa 1940-2013
bulk: circa 1940-circa 1947
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Estate of David and Fela Shapell.
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Photographs.
- Extent
-
4 folders
- System of Arrangement
- The collection is arranged as 4 folders.
Folder 1 of 4. Oświęcim, Poland under German occupation, circa 1940-circa 1941
Folder 2 of 4. Oświęcim, Poland photographs, English translations of captions, 2013
Folder 3 of 4. Münchberg DP camp funeral, 1946
Folder 4 of 4. Münchberg DP camp kibbutz activities and people, circa 1945-circa 1947
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- The Museum has made reasonable efforts but is not able to determine the copyright status of some or all of the material(s) in this collection, or identify and/or locate the potential copyright owner(s). The Museum therefore places no restrictions on use of this material, but it cannot provide any information to the user about the status of the copyright(s). The user is solely responsible for making a determination as to if and how the material may be used.
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Poland--History--Occupation, 1939-1945. Displaced persons camps. Displaced persons. Funeral rites and ceremonies.
- Geographic Name
- Oświęcim (Poland) Münchberg (Oberfranken, Germany)
- Personal Name
- Shapell, Nathan.
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2022 by Irvin Shapell for the Estate of David and Fela Shapell.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-04-04 15:20:28
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn734922
Download & Licensing
In-Person Research
- Available for Research
- Plan a Research Visit
-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
Bowie, MD