From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Documents concerning Josef Rozenzaft, addressed to him or written by him, 1942 - 1961

From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Documents concerning Josef Rozenzaft, addressed to him or written by him: 1. Letter from the Paraguayian consulate in Bern, Switzerland, informing Rozenzaft that he and his family, residents of Bedzin, Poland, have been granted Paraguayian citizenship, November 1942. 1 page, typewritten copy, in German 2. Two short letters sent by Rozenzaft from the Bergen - Belsen DP camp to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne in late 1945. 4 pages, handwritten copy, in German 3. Rosh Hashanah card sent by Rozenzaft to Schwarzbaum, 16 September 1955. 1 page, handwritten original, in Yiddish 4. Confirmation given to Rozenzaft for the delivery by registered mail, Tel Aviv, 15 June 1961. 1 page, handwritten original, in Hebrew 5. Congratulations sent by Schwarzbaum to Jozef and his wife, Hadassa, for their son's Bar Mitzvah, 17 June 1961. 1 page, handwritten original, in Yiddish 6. Article printed in the Israeli German - language newspaper Jedioth Chadashot about Rozenzaft and his wartime and postwar experiences, 30 June 1961.1 page, print original, in German 9 pages, print, typewritten and handwritten original and copy, in German and Yiddish Source file: 27100 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.