From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Three letters from Belgium, concerning the export of metals to Mandate Palestine, 1947

From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Three letters sent from Belgium to Schwarzbaum in Prague and in Paris, concerning the export of metals from Belgium to Mandate Palestine, 1947. 8 pages, handwritten, original, in German and French Inventory: 1. Two letters sent by Alex Artziely from Brussels, 13 and 14 January 1947. Artziely describes the difficulty in finding export materials and recommends Schwarzbaum to contact Eng. Leonard Bastin of Tilff, near Liege. 6 pages, handwritten, original, in German 2. Letter sent by Eng. George Bastin from Tilff, concerrning the search for raw materials for Schwarzbaum and Arsieli Hilouska, 15 January 1947. Bastin emphasizes a general problem regarding the purchase of materials: the local traders are obligated to sell to the local makket only, and export is banned. He refers Schwarzbaum and Arsieli to Mr. Demoulin, CEO of Jouret Establishments in Charleroi. 2 pages, handwritten, original, in French 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.