Overview
- Description
- The Jacob Mincer papers consist of correspondence and identification papers documenting Mincer’s efforts to emigrate from Europe before and after the Holocaust and the efforts of his uncle, Issy Mincer, to help him from South Africa. Correspondence primarily includes letters Jacob wrote to Issy from Brno before the war and from Munich and the United States after the war as well as pre-war letters documenting Issy Mincer’s efforts to provide Jacob financial assistance through the Anglo-Palestine bank. Identification papers include Jacob’s pre-war student identification card from Brno and his postwar military government travel document.
- Date
-
inclusive:
1938-1962
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Deborah Mincer
- Collection Creator
- Jacob Mincer
- Biography
-
Jacob Mincer (1922-2006) was born July 15, 1922 in Tomaszow-Lubelski, Poland, to Isaac and Dvora Mincer (Dora Eisen). His sister, Karolina, was two years older and another sister, Fryda, was 5 years younger. In 1938, he moved to Brno to attend the technical university. In the fall of 1939, he was arrested and sent to Spilberk, but, after being hospitalized, managed to avoid further deportation. He was released, provided he check in frequently with the police. Jacob learned that his family had escaped Tomaszow and was living in the Soviet occupied area of Poland. He tried to join them, but was unable to get a visa prior to the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Jacob was arrested in Brno and put in prison in Kaunitz. In 1943, he was transferred to Wulzburg, where he was forced to work in a quarry. In 1944, he was transferred to Gundelsheim, where he worked to produce parts for German tanks. He was liberated by the Red Army in April 1945. Jacob returned to Brno and planned to return to school, but eventually decided to go to a displaced persons camp. On the way, he encountered American Jewish soldiers who convinced him to work for the American military government. In 1947, he went to work for the Joint near Munich, reuniting with some pre-war friends. He learned that his immediate family had not survived. He got in touch with relatives in Palestine, South Africa, and the United States, and in 1948, Jacob immigrated to the United States.
Physical Details
- Genre/Form
- Letters.
- Extent
-
1 folder
- System of Arrangement
- The Jacob Mincer papers are arranged as a single file.
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- The donor, source institution, or a third party has asserted copyright over some or all of these material(s). The Museum does not own the copyright for the material and does not have authority to authorize use. For permission, please contact the rights holder(s).
- Copyright Holder
- Ms. Deborah Mincer
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Czech Republic--Brno.
- Geographic Name
- Brno (Czech Republic)
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Deborah Mincer donated the Jacob Mincer papers to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2014. Deborah Mincer is Jacob Mincer’s daughter.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-05-19 13:31:21
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn95114
Download & Licensing
- In Copyright
- Terms of Use
- This record is not digitized and cannot be downloaded online.
In-Person Research
- Not Available for Research: Out for Digitization
- Plan a Research Visit
-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
Bowie, MD