The Collection of Nathan Schwalb, the representative of the World Center of the Hechalutz movement in Geneva, Switzerland during World War II

P.35 - The Collection of Nathan Schwalb, the representative of the World Center of the Hechalutz movement in Geneva, Switzerland during World War II

Nathan Schwalb was born in Stanislawow, Poland (today Ivano Frankovsk, Ukraine) in 1908. He made aliya to Eretz Israel and was member of Kibbutz Hulda. He spent World War II in Geneva as the representative of the World Hechalutz movement, serving as contact person and a financial welfare source for the Jews. He corresponded with hundreds of people in the occupied countries and was active in many areas including the sending of parcels via the Red Cross, mainly to Poland, and transferring funds via messengers whom he drafted for this purpose.

Schwalb attempted to keep in touch with Hechalutz activists in the occupied areas, to offer them whatever help he could and to gather and disseminate information regarding what was happening in these areas concerning the Jews. Among his other activities, he received reports from Gisi Fleischmann regarding the situaition of the Jews in Slovakia.

Nathan Schwalb corresponded with many people, such as Saly Meyer from the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and Dr. Abraham Silberschein from Relico (Relief Committee for the Warstricken Jewish Population), as well as institutions such as the International Red Cross. He also took an interest in the Jewish refugees in Switzerland, and established contact with influential Swiss people such as politicians, police personnel and clergymen. With their help, he succeeded in preventing the return to Germany of Jewish children who had earlier escaped from there to Switzerland. Twice he was arrested for illegal activities.

Schwalb entrusted his archives to Yad Vashem in 1956-1957. The original documentation is housed in Beit Berel.