Brown leather belt worn by a rescued German Jewish boy
Creator(s)
- Harry J. Mayer (Subject)
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
- Jewish children in the Holocaust--France--Biography.
- Jewish refugees--Switzerland--Biography.
Genre
- Dress Accessories
- Object