From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Reply from Schwarzbaum, Lausanne, to Dr. Bruno Apt, Berlin, July 1942

From the Alfred – Alf Schwarzbaum collection: Reply sent by Schwarzbaum from Lausanne, Switzerland, to Dr. Bruno Apt, Adv., in Berlin, Germany, 21 July 1942. Schwarzbaum thanks Apt for his 15 July 1942 letter and confirms that he is indeed related, paternally, to S. Gold. Schwarzbaum writes that Gold would be happy to send a monthly allowance to Mendel Horensteins' family in Berlin, thus returning the favor for the Horensteins' support for his cousin during his studies. Note: Apt's original letter, sent on 15 Jult 1942, is a request for financial support from the Gold family, which was phrased as a lawsuit for safety reasons. See file 40104. For other correspondences concerning Mendel Horenstein, see files 28242, 28246, 27359, 39606, 39607 and 40336. 1 page, typewritten, 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.