From the Alfred - Alf Schwarzbaum collection: A testimony and 23 letters from various Zionist organizations and unions in Europe

From the Alfred - Alf Schwarzbaum collection: A testimony and 23 letters from various Zionist organizations and unions in Europe, sent mostly during the war to Alfred Schwarzbaum in Lausanne, Switzerland. 22 pages, typewritten and handwritten copy, in German, English and Polish Inventory: 1. A list of 55 letters from Jewish organizations in Europe, mostly during the war, specifying the name of the sender, the recipient (usually Schwarzbaum) and the date. 23 of them are in the file. 2 pages, typewritten original, in Hebrew 2. A letter from Dr. M. Kahany at the Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency in Geneva to Schwarzbaum, 26 March 1945. Kahany writes that based on their conversation earlier that day, he is enclosing the letter he received from Z. Sender and Genossen - together with a list of 19 Polish prisoners from the Le Rochers camp – and his reply. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 3. A letter from K.[?] at the Committee for Relief of the War-Stricken Jewish Population in Geneva to Schwarzbaum, regarding the transfer of funds from the Jewish Agency and the Relico relief agency to Polish Jewish groups in Caux – one in Esplanade, headed by Siegfried Moses, and the other at the Regina house. 11 April 1945. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 4. A letter from Relico to J. Sternbuch in Montreux, 7 April 1945. The author writes that together with the Hungarian Jews from Bergen – Belsen in Caux, there is also a group of Polish Jews whose state is relatively worse since their suffering started earlier. He asks the recipient to participate in financial aid to this group. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 5. A letter from A. Feuchtwanger at the Jewish Agency in London to Zacharias Sender in the Montreux refugee camp in Switzerland, 28 February 1945; the author writes that following Berl Locker's recommendation, he addressed the Geneva branch and asked to speed the recipient's application for an immigrant certificate for Palestine. 1 page, handwritten copy, in English 6. A letter from Lilly in the Youth Aliyah house in Versoix to Schwarzbaum, 6 July 1944; Lilly, a counselor, mentions their last meeting and reports on the routine activity taking place in her institution. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 7. A telegram from Schwarzbaum to Hornstein in London, updating him on several individuals and requests. No date. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German and English 8. A (censor approved) letter sent by Halina in Liebenau to Schwarzbaum (according to the list) on 9 March 1943. 1 page, handwritten copy, in Polish 9. A telegram from Feliks in Tel Aviv to Schwarzbaum in Zurich, 17 January 1948, reporting on tensions in Palestine and suggesting him to sail directly to the US. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 10. A telegram from Hornstein in London to Schwarzbaum with Passover greetings, 12 April, 1941. 1 page, typewritten copy, in English 11. A telegram from John Benzion in Stockholm to Schwrzbaum, 18 May 1945, updating him on survivors, including the Szpiegelman family. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 12. A telegram from Prywes in Zagreb to Schwarzbaum, updating him that Knopf is well and will attend the conference, 14 December 1940. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 13. A telegram from Benzion to Schwarzbaum, 4 April 1945, expressing joy at the news regarding some survivors and updating him on deliveries to Hornstein, Neumann and Baer, as well as other matters. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 14. A letter from Molezoclzki in St. Gallen to Schwarzbaum, 27 May 1945, updating him on Laskier, Gold and Groubart (presumably codenames), with regard to Auschwitz. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 15. A letter from Melech Neustadt, Venia Pomeranz, Menachem Bader and Akiva Guvrin in Istanbul to the Waada Histarutith (Histadrut committee) in Geneva, 12 March 1944, with directives on the establishment of the committee for aid and rescue efforts. 2 pages, typewritten copy, in German 16. A letter from Neustadt to Schwarzbaum, 10 March 1944, writing that reports on events in Palestine are enclosed. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 17. A letter from Neustadt to the "workers family", 8 February (no year), reporting on developments in the movement. 2 pages, typewritten copy, in German 18. A letter from [?] in Warsaw to Mr. Sternbuch [?]. March 1943. 1 page, handwritten copy, in Polish 19. A letter from Rabbi Mordechai – Zvi – Hinko Urbach, chief rabbi of Sarajevo, in Lausanne, to Schwarzbaum, 3 August 1944 (the written day may be wrong and should be 31), addressing block 11 in Bergen – Belsen, a transport of Hungarian Jews and reports on the fate of relatives in Hungary and Yugoslavia. 1 page, handwritten copy, in German 20. A letter from Friederich [?] at the Keren Hathora der Agudas Jisrael [Agudat Israel] in der Schweiz [Switzrland] in Zurich to Schwarzbaum, 27 August 1942, referring to Dr. Walch's letter regarding the Bribka Judenrat, a letter which Walch asked to forward, and also referring to a delivery of parcels from Portugal to Menachem Ziemba and A.M. Rogowy in Warsaw, and to Aron Schnierer in Bochnia. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 21. A thank you letter from Urbach to Schwarzbaum, 7 April 1944. 1 page, handwritten copy, in German 22. A letter from Saly Mayerat the JDC in St. Gallen to Schwarzbaum, 13 August 1945, reminding him to inquire about the fate of Isak Jachimowicz, a Blechhammer camp internee; Isak's daughter, currently in Sweden, is concerned about him. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 23. A letter of recommendation from Fanny Silberschein, director of the comite international d'aide aux intellectuels in Geneva, to Schwarzbaum in Tel Aviv, 10 February 1961; she describes Schwarzbaum's efforts to rescue Polish Jews, funded almost entirely by him and for no personal gain. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 24. "My escape from Bedzin to Budapest", an autobiographical essay, 1 May 1944. 2 pages, typewritten copy, in Polish About Alfred Schwarzbaum: 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 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.