Brown leather belt worn by a rescued German Jewish boy

Identifier
irn510345
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2002.52.2
Dates
1 Jan 1941 - 31 Dec 1941
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Heinz (later Harry, 1930-2014) Jakob Joseph Mayer was born on January 2, 1930, in Neustadt, Germany, to Maximillian and Hermina (Mina) Mayer and had two siblings: Gusti (b. 1921) and Eric (b. 1924). In June 1937, at age 12, Eric was sent to the United States on a children's transport and was taken in by a family in Minneapolis. In January 1938, Gusti was able to immigrate to the United States where she met Julius Ackerman and they married in 1941. In 1940, Heinz and his parents were deported to Camp de Gurs in France. Several months later, Heinz and a few other children were taken to the village of Aspet, France, in the Pyrenees. In August 1943, an aid organization, possibly Oeuvre de secours aux enfants (OSE), helped the children reach Switzerland. After the war Heinz learned that his parents, Max and Mina, were sent to Camp de Noé in 1941 and later deported to Auschwitz concentration camp, where they perished. In May 1946, Heinz immigrated to the United States aboard the SS Moinot Victory.

Archival History

The belt was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2002 by Harry J. Mayer, the son of Max Mayer.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Harry J. Mayer

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 belt worn by Heinz Mayer, 13, when he was taken to safety in Swtizerland from France in 1943. The belt had belonged to his father Max who gave it to Heinz before Heinz left Camp de Gurs with a Jewiwh aid organization. Heinz' father and mother, Max and Mina, were later sent to Camp Noe and then deported to Auschwitz concentration camp and killed.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Brown leather belt with a metal buckle.

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.