The Alfred Schwarzbaum Collection

Identifier

SCHWARZBAUM.COLL.

Language of Description

English

Level of Description

Collection

Languages

French
German
Polish
Yiddish

Source

EHRI Partner

Biographical History

Alfred (Alf) Schwarzbaum was born in 1896 in Sosnowiec, Poland. He later moved to Bedzin, became a businessman and started a family. In late September 1939, following the German occupation of Poland, he sent his daughter to England. In November 1939, he was jailed for several weeks in Mysłowice and was interrogated by the Gestapo. After his release, he turned down an offer from Mosheh Merin, head of the Sosnowiec Jewish council, to be his deputy. Using his connections and his fortune, he was able to obtain visas for Switzerland. In April 1940 he left Poland and settled in Lausanne. Schwarzbaum soon started sending out food, clothing, money and papers to Poland. He managed to navigate between the often uncoordinated Jewish and Zionist organizations based in Switzerland, to transfer financial help to Jews in Poland. He sent hundreds of parcels to German occupied localities, via Lisbon, Sweden and Turkey. He visited refugee camps in Switzerland, and corresponded with persons living under the Nazi rule. He also produced passports, which led him into trouble with the Swiss police, who feared for violation of the country's neutrality policy. In 1946 he immigrated to Mandate Palestine. In Israel, he supported funds and provided stipends for students in need, in several Israeli institutes for higher education. He died in 1990.

Archival History

When Schwarzbaum arrived in Palestine in 1946, he brought with him over 6,000 items. Over the years, he donated he dispersed his collection between several archives in Israel, most notably the Massua institute. Schwarzbaum was a close friend of the founder and longtime director of the GFH Archives, Mr. Zvi Shner. Schwarzbaum donated the documents over the course of several decades.

Scope and Content

Alfred Schwazrbaum has been called a "one man aid and rescue operation". The GFH Schwarzbaum collection holds hundreds of documents, including letters and postcards sent to Schwarzbaum from Poland and from Jews living outside Poland, asking him for help or inquiring about relatives in Poland, receipts for parcel deliveries and correspondences with Jews in Poland and elsewhere.

Conditions Governing Access

Those archival materials which have been digitized and made available for viewing -- accessed on this site or through the GFH website’s Online Archive -- may be downloaded for personal use and classroom presentation, but not for distribution in any media. High-resolution images of archival materials are available by order; there is a fee for this service.

Conditions Governing Reproduction

Description of the files are available online in the Archives section of the GFH website, searchable by text elements and key words, and onsite on the IDEA ALM system in the GFH Archives Researchers’ Room.

Existence and Location of Copies

For most files, a digital scanned image of the actual documents is available for viewing online or downloading as a .pdf file. Use of the latter is limited by the description in “Conditions Governing Reproduction” (See Conditions, above).

Archivist Note

Created 22.06.2015 by AB-E

Rules and Conventions

EHRI Guidelines for Description v.1.0

Subjects

Help and rescue
Letters

Places

Sosnowiec
Poland
Lausanne
Switzerland
Będzin

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.

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Displaying items 1 to 20 of 369

Letters by members of the movement "Zionist Youth" from Poland in Hungary
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000001886
- English
- 1944
- Updated 2 years ago
Letters written to Alfred Schwarzbaum and Nathan Schwalb in Switzerland by members of the Zionist youth movement “Ha - No'ar ha - Tsiyyoni” from Poland in Budapest, Hungary. One of the letters tells of their activities and their fates, reporting on the arrests of several movement activists, and requesting requesting help in the form of money and forged authorizations; July 5, 1944. Signed by Jozek; Dr. Reichert; [Kalman] Hammer; Manus; Tusia; Dr. Brettler; Margulies; Dr. Brodtky. Also in this file: a letter by David Liver in Budapest to Venia Pomeranz in Istanbul deals with the rescue of Zi...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcard from Gucia Rechnic, the Bedzin ghetto, July 1942
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000002047
- English
- 1942
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcard sent by Gucia Rechnic from the Bedzin ghetto to her brother, Abram Liwer, in Switzerland, 12 July 1942. The postcard is addressed to Schwarzbaum in Lusanne. 2 pages, handwritten, copy, in German Rechnic thanks Schwarzbaum for his postcard, which she read to her father. She has not yet received the package he sent. She writes that the family is well and her father is still busy, and that Schwarzbaum's friends wrote to him but did not receive answers. She blesses Alfred, Ewa and Jadzia. Gucia, daughter of Chaim Liwer (b. 5 October 1867) a...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcard from Uszer Wajntraub, Warsaw ghetto to Samuel B. Lubelchik, Bogota, June 1941
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000002128
- English
- 1941
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcard sent by Uszer Wajntraub from the Warsaw ghetto to Samuel B. Lubelchik in Bogota, Colombia, 29 June 1941. The postcard concerns the delivery of gorceries from Schwarzbaum. 2 pages, handwritten, original, in Polish Uszer confirms the reception of Schwarzbaum's package, sent via Lisbon, Portugal, and specifies its contents: Four 0.5kg bags of flour, two 0.5kg bags of sugar, two boxes of sardines, two boxes of fat and one bar of soap. He adds that he has not received a package from Rozy Elkies. He writes that he has lost contact with Ruchei...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcards from the Gothajl family in Warsaw and Bedzin, August 1940 and November 1941
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000003195
- English
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcards sent by Menek – Mendel Gothajl and his wife Fannyi (nee Kaufman) from Warsaw, Poland, to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 29 May, 17 July and 10 August 1941. 5 pages, handwritten original and copy, in Polish Source file: 27040 Menek, the son of Yitzhak Meir and Dwora (nee Szajn) and the brother of Mateusz, was born in Lodz, where he lived with his wife Fannyi and their son Tomi (b. 1930s) and owned a factory. During the war, the family, including Dwora, lived in the Warsaw ghetto, on 49 Gesia Street. Menek, Tomi and Dwora peris...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letters from Pola Bornstein - Born in Bern, 1942 - 1945
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023176
- English
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letters sent by Pola Bornstein - Born from Bern to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, 20 September 1942 - 28 April 1945. Note: Pola, a relief activist, helped Schwarzbaum deliver money to Zivia Lubetkin in Warsaw after the liberation. For further information, see files 39615, 27016 in the Holdings Registry. 71 pages, typewritten and handwritten original, in Polish and German Inventory: 1. Letters and postcards sent to Schwarzbaum: 18/10/1942, 27/10/1942, 12/11/1942, 17/12/1942, 30/12/1942, 28/1/1943, 21/4/1943, 4/9/1943, 10/9/1943, 28/9/1943, 3/11/1943, 2...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letters from Saul - Saly Gurewicz to Schwarzbaum and to international aid organizations, asking for financial support for him and for his friend Grisha Chvackinas, 1941 - 1944
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023439
- English
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letters sent by Saul - Saly Gurewicz to Schwarzbaum and to international aid organizations, asking for financial support for him and for his friend Grisha Chvackinas. 25 pages, typewritten and hadnwritten original, in Polish, Yiddish and German Saly was born in Vilnius in 1920, the son of Israel, a school principal, and Anna (nee Aronowicz). He had a sister named Tamara. In 1938, he moved to Grenoble, France, to study. In September 1941, fearing deportation, he fled to Switzerland and was interned in a detention camp. He contacted various organi...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter from Frank, Oflag VII - A Murnau, May 1945
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023948
- English
- 1945
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter sent by Frank from Oflag VII - A Murnau, a POW camp for officers from the Polish Army, to Schwarzbaum in Switzerland, 7 May 1945. 2 pages, handwritten original, in Polish Frank writes that the inmates were saved from a terrible fate by the US Army, and that he is staying there until his health improves. He asks Schwarzbaum to contact people in Bedzin to find out what happened to his relatives. About Alfred Schwarzbaum: Alfred (Alf) Schwarzbaum was a Jewish merchant from Bedzin, Poland, who fled to Switzerland after the occupation. In Swit...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter from Luzern, asking to send a parcel to a POW, October 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023949
- English
- 1943
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter sent by an unidentified person from Luzern to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, 19 October 1943, asking to send a parcel to a certain POW. The sender congratulates Schwarzbaum for Hoshana Rabbah (the next day) and wishes him a happy Jewish new year. Note: the POW's name and address are not specified in the letter. They were possibly written on a separate note, which is not in the file. 1 page, handwritten original, in German and Hebrew About Alfred Schwarzbaum: Alfred (Alf) Schwarzbaum was a Jewish merchant from Bedzin, Poland, who fled to Switzer...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Two letters from Hans Mareki, Villigen, asking to give him news from the Warsaw ghetto, May 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023950
- English
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Two letters sent by Hans Mareki from Villigen, Switzerland, to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, May 1943, asking to meet him to give him news from Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, 4 and 19 May 1943. Mareki writes that between January and May 1943, he was in Warsaw and spoke to Schwarzbaum's friends, who asked to see Schwarzbaum and discuss things with him. He wishes to see Schwarzbaum before mid - June 1943, when he is planning to travel to Warsaw. Notes: 1. By "Schwarzbaum's friends", Mareki is possibly referring to Jews in the ghetto who know Schwarzbaum or...
Alfred Schwarzbaum collection: letter from Karol Stattler in Bedzin, April 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023951
- English
- 1943
- Updated 2 years ago
Alfred Schwarzbaum collection: Letter sent by Karol Stattler from Bedzin, Poland, to Schwarzbaum in Switzerland on 27 April 1943. Stattler thanks Schwarzbaum for his letter and regrets to say that he has not heard from Jakob or Tusia in the recent months either. He adds that once Schwarzbaum's reply is received, he will send him photos of the family so that he can see that they are well. The photos were presumably intended for forging visas or identity papers. 1 page, handwritten original, in German About Alfred Schwarzbaum: Alfred (Alf) Schwarzbaum was a Jewish merchant from Bedzin, Poland...
Alfred Schwarzbaum collection: a letter to him from Bedzin, April 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023952
- English
- 1943
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter sent by Maurycy from Bedzin, Poland, to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 8 April 1943. Maurycy writes that he is still active in the community. He gives information about his family [possibly to produce forged papers]: his daughter Helene (b. 1 November 19417) works as a nurse; his wife Mariem, 50 years old, works as a taylor. He writes that he often visits the Lejb family, but regrets to say they are not well, especially Dora. Vitus is a strong boy, and looks good. Maurycy adds that Michal, his previous employer, will soon be rep...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Two letters from Abel Gutman, Bedzin, March 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023953
- English
- 1943
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Two letters sent by Abel Gutman from Bedzin to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, Switzerland, asking for help, 25 January and 30 March 1943. 25 January - Gutman writes that his family sends their regards to Schwarzbaum. He accidentally found a postcard sent by Schwarzbaum on 8 January, which mentions Schwarzbaum's daughter, who had gone to school with him. Then, in 1939, Gutman had to quit school and go back. He currently wishes to study carpentry with Marek and asks Schwarzbaum to tell that to Eutienne Garel in Geneva, and specifies the address. 30 Marc...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter from Mrs. Lotto, Zurich, asking for information about relatives in the Warsaw ghetto, January 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023954
- English
- 1943
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter sent by Mrs. Lotto (nee Jelenkiewicz) from Zurich to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, asking for information about relatives in the Warsaw ghetto, 9 January 1943. Lotto writes that she has heard from a friend, Mrs. Dym, that Schwarzbaum has been corresponding with people in Poland, and asks him to find out about her family, who had fled to Warsaw from Lodz: her father Napoleon; her mother Tania, her sister N. Czechowska; her sister's husband Wladyslaw Czechowski and their six year old daughter Hania. She suggests a source for the information: Dr....
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letters and postcards from Mounique Humbert, Vilamont, December 1942 - February 1943, regarding her search for her mother
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023955
- English
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letters and postcards sent by Mounique Humbert from Vilamont, Switzerland to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, December 1942 - February 1943, regarding her mother, Elli Bail (nee Katz), who had been deported from the Drancy camp in the autumn of 1942. The letters were sent on 1 December 1942, 12 December 1942 and 2 February 1943. In the first letter, she thanks Schwarzbaum for referring her to Mrs. Darmstaicher about her mother, who she is looking for; her mother (b. 1886) was deported from Drancy between 26 October and 5 November 1942, and was not heard...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter from Chil and Mendel Schlesinger, the Bedzin ghetto, April 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023956
- English
- 1943
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter sent by Chil and Mendel Schlesinger from the Bedzin ghetto to Schwarzbaum in Switzerland, 8 April 1943. They specify their year of birth (1923 and 1922, respectively), and add that they are the only members of their family who can write that. They send regards to their friends Bolo and Schwalbe, and to uncle Alembik, who is with Schwarzbaum's daughter Hala. The write that once they receive Schwarzbaum's reply, they will send photos. Notes: 1. The years of birth were probably meant for the production of forged papers. 2. Schwalbe is Nathan...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Two postcards and letter from Berish – Bolek Lindenberg, Paris, 1945
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023957
- English
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Two postcards and letter sent by Berish – Bolek Lindenberg from Paris to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, 1945, and an announcement on the birth of his daughter, 1946: 17 April 1945 - postcard from Annecy; 26 April 1945 - letter from Paris; 3 June 1945 - postcard from Paris; 21 April 1946 - announcement on the birth of Chana - Michal, daughter of Berish and Bat Ami Lindenberg, sister of Daniel Lindenberg. Note: for more of Lindenberg's letters, see files 24047 and 24089. About Alfred Schwarzbaum: Alfred (Alf) Schwarzbaum was a Jewish merchant from Bedzi...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcard from Sophie Schwarzbaum, Bedzin ghetto, July 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000023958
- English
- 1943
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Postcard sent by Sophie Schwarzbaum from the Bedzin ghetto, Poland, to Alfred in Lausanne, Switzerland, 6 July 1943. Sophie, Alfred's niece, writes that she and her family sent him a letter with photos attached on 18 June 1943, but have not yet received an answer and are anxiously awaiting his reply. Notes: 1. The dates of birth and photos sent to Schwazrbaum were probably meant to enable him to provide them with foreign passports or visas to exit Poland. 2. Additional letters from this file were transferred to files 41355 and 41356 in the Holdi...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Three letters from Berish – Bolek Lindenberg, Paris, 1945 - 1947
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000024047
- English
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Three letters sent by Berish – Bolek Lindenberg from Paris to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne and in Haifa on 2 July 1945, 5 April 1946 and 2 February 1947. Lindenberg writes about his research on Jewish culture in France, and feels that no trace will be left of their culture there. He writes about Jewish collective identity and offers to send money to Schwarzbaum's daughter in the US. He mentions his wife Chana (1946) and hi sson Daniel (1940). He also mentions the names Berliner, Bergman, Weizman and Sara Zwilich. Note: for more of Lindenberg's letter...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter from the Bedzin ghetto, March 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000024048
- English
- 1943
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letter sent by an unidentified individual, evidently from the Bedzin ghetto*, to Schwarzbaum in Switzerland, 29 March 1943.** 2 pages, handwritten, original, in German The sender thanks Schwarzbaum for his letter and the regards from Jozio, on behalf of himself and his family. He is upset at Hela for not replying to his letters, and says he will not answer even if she does reply. He asks if there is any news from Moniek. The sender and his family often meet Mrs. Lachman, who sends her regards and wishes to receive a letter from her son. The send...
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Three postcards from Poland and Switzerland, concerning the Bolimowski family, 1943
- Beit Lohamei Haghetaot Archives/ בית לוחמי הגטאות
- 0000024056
- English
- 1943
- Updated 2 years ago
From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Three postcards sent from Poland and Switzerland to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, 1943. The postcards concern the Bolimowski family, residents of the Bedzin ghetto. 6 pages, print and handwritten, original, in German Note: an envelope sent by Hans Maerki was transferred from this file to file 23950. Inventory: 1. Postcard sent by Binem Bolimowski from the Bedzin ghetto, 7 May 1943. Bolimowski informs Schwarzbaum that he has married Ms. Sobkowski, native of Dortmund, Germany, and asks him to contact his wife's cousin Herta Wieler in Switzerland. The b...

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