Heilborn and Fassberg family papers
Extent and Medium
boxes
oversize folders
2
3
Creator(s)
- Theodor Heilborn
Biographical History
Theodor Heilborn (1883-1969) was born on September 8, 1883 in Berlin, Germany, to Siegfried (1843-1923) and Jenny Heilborn (née Cohn, 1853-1934). Theodor passed the bar exam in 1906 and was appointed a deputy justice in Berlin in 1910. Theodor and Recha Bloch married in 1923. Recha Bloch (1887-1972) was born in 1887 to Kato and Lea Bloch in Bosatz bei Ratibor, Prussia (now Racibórz, Poland). In 1926, Recha gave birth to their only child, Vera Beate Heilborn (later Fassberg, 1926-2001). In 1933 when the Nazis took power, Theodor was removed from his position as an attorney and notary. He began to collect family history documentation establishing the family’s long ties to Germany and, possibly, in preparation for emigration. The family was able to immigrate to the United States, arriving in May 1940. Vera entered high school in Gloversville, NY, in 1940. She met Harold Fassberg (1919-1999) from East Palestine, OH, when she was tutoring him in German. Harold later became a member of the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, writing to Vera while he was stationed overseas. Harold is credited by Gitta Sereny with locating and capturing Albert Speer. In 1946, Harold joined the German-Austrian division at the State Department, where he remained for 10 years. Vera and Harold married in July 1946 and had five children: Roseanne (b. 1950); Linda (b. 1952); Steven (b. 1956); Lois (b. 1959); and Marlene (b. 1961).
Archival History
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the family of Harold and Vera Fassberg
The children of Harold and Vera Fassberg donated this collection to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013.
Scope and Content
The Heilborn and Fassberg family papers consist of biographical material, correspondence, and family research related to the family of Theodor and Recha Bloch Heilborn, originally from Berlin, Germany and Harold Fassberg, from Ohio. The collection documents the Heilborn family’s history in Germany from 1840-1939 including Theodor Heilborn's career as an attorney, being stripped of his position in 1933, and the family's emigration documentation. Also included is extensive correspondence between the Heilborns’ only child, Vera, and Harold Fassberg, a member of the American military during World War II, in 1945-1946, while Harold was serving as a member of the strategic bombing survey group. The Heilborn and Bloch families series consist of extensive family research, including family trees, and copies and original birth, marriage, and death certificates from members of the Heilborn and Bloch families from 1840-1930. Siegfried and Jenny Heilborn’s marriage certificate, wedding booklet, marriage poem, Jahrzeit for Siegfried, and passport for Jenny are also included, as well as, Reche Heilborn’s birth certification and registry (copy), an application for a certificate of arrival to the United States, a certificate of naturalization and postwar identification documentation. Also included are inquiries from family members relating to the fate of Hertha Block and Hilde Meyer (Bloch), poems, and correspondence. The Theodor Heilborn series includes a birth certificate, his military commission, wedding records, an application for a certificate of arrival to the United States, his green card, and a United States certificate of Naturalization. Also included are identification documents such as a Reisepass and passport photos and documents relating to his death. Also included are documents relating to Theodore's professional career as an attorney including being dismissed as a notary and losing his attorney privileges because he was Jewish. The Vera Heilborn series includes a birth registry, a United States certificate of Naturalization, and inheritance records as well as identification documents including a Reisepass, United States passport, and French driver's license. Prewar educational records from Germany include report cards, school reports, and certificates. Educational records from the United States include Estee Junior High documents and clippings, class schedules, and reports. Correspondence largely includes letters from Vera to Harold from 1940-1945. The Harold Fassberg series includes correspondence of letters from Harold to Vera during his time in Germany, London, Tokyo, and Washington D.C. Military records include Harold’s recommendation and commission as a 2nd Lt., assignment and extension orders, and documents relating to his appointment in the Reserve Corps.
System of Arrangement
The collection is arranged as four series based on personal and family experiences.
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Copyright Holder: Mrs. Marlene Zarrow
People
- Fassberg, Vera Heilborn, 1926-2001.
- Heilborn, Theodor, 1883-1969.
- Fassberg, Harold, 1919-1999.
- Heilborn, Recha Bloch, 1887-1972.
Subjects
- Berlin (Germany)
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Germany--Berlin.
- Germany.
- Jewish lawyers--Government policy--Germany.
- Jews--Germany--Genealogy.
Genre
- Document
- Correspondence.