Overview
- Brief Narrative
- Set of 13 dental hand tools in a small wooden storage case used by Dr. Ferdinand Stift and brought with him when he and his family fled from Zagreb, Croatia, to Asti, Italy, in December 1941. The tools include scalpels, excavators, chisels, descalers, and hatchets. In April 1941, the Axis powers invaded and partitioned Yugoslavia. Zagreb was located in the Independent State of Croatia, which was controlled by the pro-Nazi Ustasa regime. One of Ferdinand’s patients, Archbishop Aloysius Viktor Stepinac, knew about upcoming actions against the Jews and told Ferdinand to flee with his wife, Teresia, and children, Gertruda Renata and Fredrich Miroslav. The family was baptized and given false papers as Catholics, then fled to Italian controlled Split and Krk Island in August 1941. In December, they went to Asti, Italy, where they lived as confined refugees. Ferdinand and his family were liberated by Allied forces in April 1945. Ferdinand, his wife, and son emigrated to the United States in 1946.
- Date
-
use:
1911-1945
- Geography
-
use:
Vienna (Austria)
use: Zagreb (Croatia)
use: Asti (Italy)
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of R. Sylvia Tagert, in memory of Ferdinand and Teresa Stift, and their daughter Renata, and in honor of Frederic Stift
- Markings
- b. front, center, engraved : REINER
c. front, above handle, engraved : 5 / REINER
d. front, above handle, engraved : 8 / REINER
e. front, above handle, engraved : 5 / REINER
f. front, above handle, engraved : REINER
g. front, above handle, engraved : WEISS & SCHWARZ WIEN / 1
n. front, end of handle, engraved : WEISS & SCHWARZ / WIEN - Contributor
-
Subject:
Ferdinand Stift
Manufacturer: Reiner
Manufacturer: Weiss & Schwarz
- Biography
-
Ferdinand Stift was born on March 16, 1897, in Ruse, Bulgaria, to a Jewish couple, Maurizio and Johanna Weiss Stift. Ferdinand lived with his parents and brothers in Vienna, Austria. He attempted to enlist in the army to serve in World War I (1914-1918), but was rejected because he was too young. Ferdinand attended dental school in Vienna. He worked as a dental technician assistant for two years, then moved to Zagreb, Yugoslavia (now Croatia). He married Teresia Hirschler, who was born on March 1, 1897, in Molve, Yugoslavia (Croatia), to Mojsije and Friederika Hirschler. Ferdinand and Teresia had two children: Gertruda Renata, born on April 13, 1924, and Fredrich Miroslav, born on February 5, 1927. Ferdinand started a dental practice in the late 1920’s. The practice included general dentistry, surgery, braces, and false teeth. He had his own laboratory and kiln where he made dental prosthetics.
On April 6, 1941, the Axis partners, Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria invaded and partitioned Yugoslavia. The Stift family lived in the newly created Independent State of Croatia, controlled by the fascist, anti-Jewish Ustasa regime. Croatia was divided into German and Italian zones of influence. The Ustasa terrorized the country with the mass slaughter and expulsion of the Serbs and persecuted the Jewish population. Ferdinand and his family could not travel outside Zagreb and had to wear Star of David badges. They lost their friends, home, and possessions. Gertruda and Fredrich had to leave school. Ferdinand's in-laws were arrested and jailed. One of Ferdinand’s patients was Archbishop Aloysius Viktor Stepinac, a Catholic Cardinal and the Archbishop of Zagreb. Stepinac knew about upcoming actions against the Jewish people and helped Ferdinand and his family escape. He told Ferdinand to leave with his family, telling people they were going on vacation. Ferdinand and his family were baptized in a church and given false papers as Catholics. They could take only one item small enough to be hidden, and Ferdinand took his dental tools, They fled to an area of Yugoslavia that was controlled by Italy. In August, they lived as confined refugees in Split, then went to Krk Island off the Croatian coast. Circa December 1941, they went to Italy. They lived as confined refugees in Asti, Turin, and Genoa in northern Italy. Ferdinand could not learn Italian and avoided contact with others by pretending to be deaf and dumb and behaving eccentricly. He did continue to practice dentistry to support the family and Fredrich acted as his assistant. In July 1943, the Allies landed in Sicily. The Italian government reached an armistice with the Allies on September 3 and declared war on Germany on October 13. Germany invaded Italy on the same day and occupied Rome. In March 1944, Ferdinand’s son Fredrich Miroslav assumed a false identity, Federico Orsini, in order to work with the Allies and the resistance. Ferdinand, Teresia, and Gertruda Renata remained in German occupied Asti. In April 1945, Ferdinand and his family were liberated by the Allies. The war ended when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945.
Ferdinand’s daughter Getruda married Sreten Jovan Ivanisevic. The couple had a daughter in July 1946. Ferdinand and Teresia decided to leave Italy for the United States. Teresia’s parents had perished in the Holocaust. Teresia’s cousin Fred Schlosser agreed to sponsor their emigration. In October 1946, Ferdinand, Teresia, and Fredrich sailed from Savona, Italy, on the SS Henry Gilbert Costin, arriving in Philadelphia on October 21. Ferdinand’s daughter and her family stayed in Genoa. Ferdinand, his wife, and son settled in New York. Ferdinand went by Frank, Teresia changed her name to Theresa, and Fredrich Miroslav changed his name to Frederick. Teresia’s cousin Fred helped them find a home and employment. Ferdinand was a chauffeur for a wealthy family and Teresia was a nurse. In March 1949, Ferdinand’s daughter Gertruda and her family arrived in the US. They moved in with Ferdinand and Americanized their names to Renee and Stephen Evans. Ferdinand, 74, died in February 1972 in New York.
Physical Details
- Language
- German
- Classification
-
Tools and Equipment
- Category
-
Medical equipment
- Object Type
-
Dental instruments and apparatus (lcsh)
- Physical Description
- a. Small, rectangular, varnished, light brown wooden case with a double hinged lid and dovetail jointed corners. On the lid front is a silver colored metal plate with trefoil corners, with an attached hinged oval catch with a scrollwork border and a center hole. The hole fastens over a prong on a metal plate on the base. The interior has wooden inserts to secure dental tools. The base has 2 parallel, vertical wooden rods with rounded tops and 13 slots cut for tools. At the center of the left insert is an additional small wooden panel with a center slot to give the tool extra support. In the back right corner is a wooden rectangle with a rounded top, to support 3 shorter tools. There is a rounded wooden rod in the lid center to stabilize the tools when the case is closed.
b. Stainless steel, double-sided dental excavator with a ridged, 4 sided octagonal center with 4 smooth, slanted corners. A smooth, tapered, cylindrical neck extends from each side, ending in a small circular bowl on the left and a tiny circular bowl on the right.
c. Stainless steel dental hand tool with a ridged, 4 sided octagonal handle with 4 smooth, slanted corners. The handle is wide at the back, narrows at the center, widens toward the front before narrowing into a long cylinder with a top groove and curved bottom.
d. Stainless steel dental hand chisel with a ridged, 4 sided octagonal handle with 4 smooth, slanted sides. The handle is wide at the back, narrows at the center, and widens toward the front before tapering to a long rectangular chisel with a flat tip.
e. Stainless steel dental hand chisel with a thick handle with slanted edges. The handle is wide at the back, narrows at the center, and widens toward the front before tapering to a long rectangular chisel that flattens toward the tip.
f. Stainless steel dental excavator hand tool with a thick, oval handle with rounded edges and 4 diagonal, center grooves on both sides. The handle indents, then widens to a cylindrical neck that tapers to a large circular bowl at the front.
g. Stainless steel dental excavator hand tool with a thick oval handle with 3 grooves on both sides, and an indent above for grip. The handle widens above the grip, then narrows to a cylindrical neck that tapers toward the small circular bowl at the front.
h. Stainless steel dental hatchet hand tool with a thick, textured oval handle with 3 grooves on both sides, and an indent above for grip. The handle widens above the grip, then narrows to a cylindrical neck that tapers to a long curved rectangle with a beveled bottom edge.
i. Stainless steel dental scalpel with a textured octagonal handle with a rounded end that tapers to a pointed, curved blade.
j. Stainless steel dental scalpel with a rectangular handle with a rounded back and rounded edges that widens toward the front, then indents at the blade joint. The blade is pointed and has a flat upper edge and a curved, sharp lower edge.
k. Stainless steel dental descaler hand tool with a handle with a curved, flattened back edge that narrows, then widens toward the rounded front. At the front is a cylindrical neck that tapers to a small triangular blade, which is bent upward.
l. Stainless steel dental scalpel with a thick handle with a curved, flattened back edge that narrows, then widens toward the rounded front, then indents at the blade joint. The blade is pointed and has a flat upper edge and a curved, sharp lower edge.
m. Stainless steel dental chisel hand tool with a rectangular handle with a rounded back and rounded edges that widens toward the front. At the front is a cylindrical neck that tapers to a small rectangular chisel with angled sides, which flattens toward the tip.
n. Stainless steel dental scalpel with a rectangular handle with a rounded back. The handle widens toward the front and has 2 long center grooves on both sides, with an indent above for grip. The handle widens above the grip, then narrows at the blade joint. The blade is pointed and has a sharp, curved lower edge. - Dimensions
- a: Height: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm) | Width: 7.625 inches (19.368 cm) | Depth: 5.000 inches (12.7 cm)
b: Height: 5.875 inches (14.923 cm) | Width: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm) | Depth: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm)
c: Height: 5.125 inches (13.017 cm) | Width: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
d: Height: 5.000 inches (12.7 cm) | Width: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
e: Height: 5.125 inches (13.017 cm) | Width: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm) | Depth: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm)
f: Height: 6.375 inches (16.192 cm) | Width: 0.625 inches (1.588 cm) | Depth: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm)
g: Height: 6.625 inches (16.827 cm) | Width: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
h: Height: 6.000 inches (15.24 cm) | Width: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
i: Height: 6.125 inches (15.557 cm) | Width: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
j: Height: 5.125 inches (13.017 cm) | Width: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Depth: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm)
k: Height: 4.750 inches (12.065 cm) | Width: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Depth: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm)
l: Height: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm) | Width: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Depth: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm)
m: Height: 4.875 inches (12.383 cm) | Width: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm) | Depth: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm)
n: Height: 6.000 inches (15.24 cm) | Width: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Depth: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm) - Materials
- a : wood, metal, varnish
b : stainless steel
c : stainless steel
d : stainless steel
e : stainless steel
f : stainless steel
g : stainless steel
h : stainless steel
i : stainless steel
j : stainless steel
k : stainless steel
l : stainless steel
m : stainless steel
n : stainless steel - Inscription
- DENTAL
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Croatia--Zagreb--Personal narratives. Jewish dentists--Croatia--Zagreb--Biography. Jewish refugees--Italy--Biography. Jews--Rescue--Croatia--Zagreb--Biography. Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust--Croatia--Zagreb--Personal narratives, Jewish. World War, 1939-1945--Refugees--Italy--Personal narratives.
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The dental tools were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by R. Sylvia Tagert, the granddaughter of Ferdinand Stift.
- Funding Note
- The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
- Record last modified:
- 2022-09-13 13:23:47
- This page:
- http://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn88936
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Also in Ferdinand Stift family collection
The collection consists of a case with dental tools, documents, and photographs relating to the experiences of Dr. Ferdinand Stift and his family before the Holocaust in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, during the Holocaust in Italy, and after the Holocaust in Italy and the United States.
Date: 1911-1949
Stift family papers
Document
Collection of documents and photographs documenting the Stift family before the war in Zagreb; in Italy during the war – including false documents; and post war in Italy and in the US.