Frank Meissner family collection

Identifier: irn36426
Language of Description: English
Level of Description: Collection
Source: EHRI Partner

Web Source

https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn36426

Acquisition

The collection was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2009 by Margit Meissner, the widow of Frank Meissner.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of artifacts and a prayer book relating to the experiences of Franz Meissner and his family in Czechoslovakia before and during the Holocaust, and of Franz's experiences after escaping to Denmark, then Sweden, and Great Britain, where he joined the Royal Air Force, for the duration of World War II.

Genre

Collection

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.

Child Items

Filter Results

Language of Description
1. English (6)
Country
1. United States (6)
Holding Institution
1. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (6)

There are several ways to be more specific in your search query:

"Phrase": Search an exact match of your query, e.g. "Member lists"
+Phrase: Given word has to be in the result, e.g. +Gestapo
-Phrase: Exclude given word from search, e.g. -Gestapo

Use the following syntax to restrict the search to specific fields:

field:"phrase": For instance, you can find all descriptions that have the phrase "Auschwitz Birkenau" in their titles by searching for title:"Auschwitz Birkenau".

The following fields are currently available:

identifier
title
creator
person
place
subject
address

Displaying items 1 to 6 of 6

Striped silk tallit, green velvet bag and white liner used by a Czech Jewish refugee
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- irn37625
- English
- a: Height: 33.000 inches (83.82 cm) | Width: 75.750 inches (192.405 cm) b: Height: 8.500 inches (21.59 cm) | Width: 13.250 inches (33.655 cm) c: Height: 10.750 inches (27.305 cm) | Width: 13.000 inches (33.02 cm)
- Updated 1 year ago
Black striped silk tallit gadol, a prayer shawl worn by Jewish males during morning services, and two storage pouches used by Franz Meissner. Frank, age 16, left Czechoslovakia in October 1939 because of the increasing Nazi persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with members of Youth Aliyah, a organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a ...
Prayer book
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- irn37627
- English
- 1906
- Updated 1 year ago
Prayer book carried and used by Franz Meissner with an inscription dated 1912 inside the front cover. Franz, age 16, left Czechoslovakia in October 1939 because of the increasing persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with Youth Aliyah, an organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a fishing boat to Sweden. He had been receiving weekly le...
Blue striped tallit with embroidered Hebrew text used by a Czech Jewish refugee
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- irn37629
- English
- overall: Height: 59.500 inches (151.13 cm) | Width: 17.000 inches (43.18 cm)
- Updated 1 year ago
Embroidered tallit gadol, a prayer shawl worn by Jewish males during morning prayers, used by Franz Meissner. Frank, age 16, left Trest in October 1939 because of the increasing Nazi persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with members of Youth Aliyah, a organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a fishing boat to Sweden. He had been recei...
Red and black plastic cigarette holder used by a Czech Jewish refugee
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- irn37630
- English
- overall: Height: 4.000 inches (10.16 cm) | Width: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm)
- Updated 1 year ago
Cigarette holder used by Franz Meissner. Frank, age 16, left Czechoslovakia in October 1939 because of the increasing Nazi persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with members of Youth Aliyah, a organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews from Denmark. Frank was warned that the Gestapo was looking for him and he was smuggled on a fishing boat to Sweden. He had been receiving weekly letters from his family, even after their deport...
Pair of tefillin with an embroidered green velvet bag used by a Czech Jewish refugee
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- irn37631
- English
- a: Height: 6.250 inches (15.875 cm) | Width: 7.000 inches (17.78 cm) b: Height: 4.750 inches (12.065 cm) | Width: 4.500 inches (11.43 cm) c: Height: 9.250 inches (23.495 cm) | Width: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm)
- Updated 1 year ago
Tefillin set and green velvet storage pouch used by Franz Meissner who left Czechoslovakia for Denmark in October 1939. Tefillin are small boxes that contain prayers that are attached to leather straps and worn by Orthodox Jewish males during morning prayers. Franz, age 16, left Trest in October 1939 because of the increasing persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he left for Denmark with Youth Aliyah, a organization that helped people to emigrate to Palestine. In 1943, the Germans began to deport all Jews ...
Belt for a kittel [ceremonial robe] saved by a Czech Jewish refugee
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- irn37632
- English
- overall: Height: 69.250 inches (175.895 cm) | Width: 4.375 inches (11.113 cm)
- Updated 1 year ago
Long, narrow belt for a kittel, a ceremonial robe worn by a Jewish male, used by Norbert Meissner, who was president of the synagogue in Trest, Czechoslovakia, before and during the Holocaust. He and his wife, Lotte, and son, Leo, were deported to Theresienstadt in 1943. A year later, they were sent to Auschwitz death camp where they perished. The belt was preserved by his son, Frank. Frank, age 16, left Czechoslovakia in October 1939 because of the increasing Nazi persecution of Jews as Czechoslovakia was dismembered by Nazi Germany and its allies. With the encouragement of his family, he ...

Frank Meissner family collection

Child Items

Striped silk tallit, green velvet bag and white liner used by a Czech Jewish refugee

Prayer book

Blue striped tallit with embroidered Hebrew text used by a Czech Jewish refugee

Red and black plastic cigarette holder used by a Czech Jewish refugee

Pair of tefillin with an embroidered green velvet bag used by a Czech Jewish refugee

Belt for a kittel [ceremonial robe] saved by a Czech Jewish refugee