From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Correspondence between Adv. Dr. Boris Lifschitz, Schwarzbaum and Sally Meyer, Switzerland, May 1940 - March 1941

From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Correspondence between Adv. Dr. Boris Lifschitz, Schwarzbaum and Sally Meyer, concerning matters handled by the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) in St. Gallen, Switzerland, May 1940 - March 1941. 10 pages, typewritten and handwritten, original, in German Inventory: 1. Two letters sent by Lifschitz from Bern to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, 20 and 22 May 1940. Lifschitz writes that he understands that the letters should be sent to the SIG, which would forward them. He asks Schwazbaum to recommend him to St. Gallen to expedite the handling of the letters. 5 pages, typewritten and handwritten, original, in German 2. Postcard sent by Schwarzbaum from Lausanne to the SIG in St. Gallen, 22 May 1940. Schwarzbaum addresses Lifschitz's request to contact them, and proposes to hold a joint meeting in Bern, considering the urgency of the matter. 2 pages, handwritten, original, in German 3. Postal confirmation for Schwarzbaum's letter to Meyer in St. Gallen, 25 May 1940. 2 pages, typewritten and handwritten, original, in German 4. Letter sent by Meyer, the SIG Secretary, from St. Gallen to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, 10 March 1941. Meyer writes that he did not have a chance to visit Schwarzbaum in Lusanne and will do so as soon as possible. 1 page, typewritten, original, in German About Alfred Schwarzbaum: Alfred (Alf) Schwarzbaum was a Jewish merchant from Bedzin, Poland, who fled to Switzerland after the occupation. In Switzerland, he set up a relief enterprise, and supported hundreds of Jews. 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 Myslowice 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 1945, 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.