From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letters from Simone Wahl, Switzerland, January 1944

From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Letters sent by Simone Wahl, a Jewish refugee from Belgium, from Switzerland, January 1944. Inventory: 1. 4 January 1944 (the source erronneously says 1943): Sent from the Tivoli hotel in Luzern, which served asa refugee camp, to the Polish consul in Bern. Simone writes that she was born in Antwerp, Belgium, on 17 September 1921. She spent the war years in Switzerland, and came to Bern on 18 March 1943. In November 1943, at her physician's advice, she travelled from Brissago, Locarno district, Ticino canton, to Luzern to recuperate. In four weeks, she expects to return to work. During this time, she requires sanitary napkolilins, since her allowances are insufficient. Based on her medical certificate, she asks for financial support to buy them in Luzern. 1 page, typewritten, original, in German 2. 18 January 1944: Sent from the Ravina hotel in St. Nikolaus, Visp district, Valais canton, to Schwarzbaum in Lausanne. Simone discusses life in the local refugee camp. She needs clothes, and some of her friends contacted the Polish consul in Bern, and managed to obtain financial relief. Simone wishes to do the same to finance clothing, and the local physician agreed to help. She asks Schwarzbaum to serve as go between with the consul. 2 pages, handwritten, original, in German 3 pages, typewritten and handwritten, original, in German Source file: 26407 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.