From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: letters from Bolo Gutmann and from Irena and her husband, Warsaw, 1950

From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Correspondence (letters, telegram and delivery confirmations) between Schwarzbaum and Bolo Gutmann, Irena and her poet husband, Warsaw, May 1949 - March 1950. The four letters (dated 7 February, 21 February, 14 March and 19 March, 1950) were sent to Schwarzbaum, and the two receipts (dated May 1949) are for parcels sent by Schwarzbaum to Gutmann. 12 pages, print and handwrtten, original, in Polish and German The Gutmann family lived in Bedzin. Their children were Dov - Bolo, Tusia - Ester (later Herzberg, b. 1921), Aleksander – Olek (who later Hebraized his name to Gatmon, b. 1926). The parents were Rela (nee Graubert) and Aron - Szlama. According to Tusia's daughter, Rina Dayagi, Bolo was in Warsaw in 1950 before moving to Belgium. Tusia was born in Bedzin to a wealthy family that owned a textile factory. The family was Zionist. Tusia's older brother Bolo immigrated to Mandate Palestine before WWII and joined the British army.Tusia and Aleks joined the HaNoar HaTzioni movement and continued their underground activity under the German occupation. During the war, Tusia worked as a nurde and in a farm. Her father was arrested in 1941. After several failed attempts to procure arms, its was decided that Tusia's group should focus on rescue. Tusia, Aleks and their friends crossed the border to Slovakia and to Hungary, where they warned the movement members from the Germans and instructed them in using weapons. Tusia, disguised as a representative of the Red Cross, visited Aleks and his friends in prison in Budapest and smuggled reports and escape plans. Aleks was sentenced to death, but Budapest was liberated before the sentance was carried out. Tusia also managed to save her mother. For Tusia's testimony, see file 14349 in the Holdings Registry. 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.erfgvgbdzin, 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.