Dark brown leather briefcase brought to the US by a Jewish Hungarian refugee

Identifier
irn61191
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2013.117.2
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

Overall: Height: 10.500 inches (26.67 cm) | Width: 16.000 inches (40.64 cm) | Depth: 2.500 inches (6.35 cm)

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Paul Zilczer was born on August 30, 1908, in Budapest, Hungary, to a Jewish couple. He graduated from college and worked as a physicist. Paul married Margit Gelyi, a young Jewish woman, and the couple settled in Budapest. Margit was born on June 19, 1907, in Gyor, Hungary, to Tibor and Vilma Winkler Gelyi. During the 1930’s, Hungary was an ally of Nazi Germany, and in 1938, Hungary’s fascist regime adopted anti-Jewish race laws based on Germany’s Nuremberg Laws. In 1939, the Hungarian government established a forced-labor service for able-bodied Jewish men of military age. Paul and Margit travelled to England in 1939. On May 17, Paul boarded the S.S. Manhattan in Southampton, England, and sailed to New York City, where he lived with his cousin Emil and his family. Margit travelled to several places in Europe, including London, England, and Paris, France, before returning to Budapest. In November 1940, Hungary entered World War II as part of the Axis alliance. In March 1944, Germany invaded Hungary to ensure Hungary's continued involvement with the war effort and their cooperation in the deportation of all Hungarian Jews to concentration camps. On January 18, 1945, the Soviet Army liberated Budapest. The war in Europe ended on May 7, 1945. In 1946, Paul learned that Margit, 37, had been deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp in northern Germany on October 23, 1944, and killed in November. Paul married his second wife, Rose (1917-2011), in approximately 1947. The couple settled in Waterbury, Connecticut, and had two daughters. Paul worked as a research physicist. Paul, age 65, died in November 1973, in Arlington, Virginia.

Archival History

The briefcase was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by Janet Zilczer and Judith Zilczer, the daughters of Paul Zilczer.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Janet Zilczer and Judith Zilczer

Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Scope and Content

Brown leather briefcase brought with Paul Zilczer when he left Budapest, Hungary, for the United States, in May 1939. Paul, a physicist, and his wife Margit lived in Budapest, when in 1938, the fascist Hungarian government passed laws restricting the rights of Jews. In 1939, Paul and Margit both traveled to England. On May 17, Paul sailed to New York City where he lived with his cousin Emil and his family. Margit returned to Budapest. In November 1940, Hungary entered World War II as a German ally. In March 1944, Germany invaded Hungary to ensure Hungary's continued involvement with the war effort and their cooperation in the deportation of all Hungarian Jews to concentration camps. Margit was deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany and killed in November 1944.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Rectangular, dark brown, smooth leather briefcase with accordion side folds and a leather handle attached by metal rings to the large, top closure flap which has incised line edging. The bottom edge of the flap has 2 brown painted snap caps and a metal plate that folds over the edge with 3 short rods on the back. The rods correspond to 3 holes above a small keyhole and lock plate on the front panel of the briefcase between 2 metal snap studs. A second lock plate, with the 3 holes below the keyhole, is centered on the bottom back panel between 2 metal snap studs. The sides and base of the briefcase are stitched together with brown thread, and the corners are reinforced with metal rivets. The interior is unfinished leather. All hardware is silver-colored metal. The briefcase is worn, torn, and stained from use.

Subjects

Genre

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.