Bieberstein family photographs

Kazimierz Bieberstein (later Casimir Biebers, 1931-2014) was born on March 16, 1931 to Szymon and Irena Bieberstein. His brother Tadeusz was born in 1925. Szymon was able to leave Poland in 1939 and arrived in the United States in 1941. Irena and her sons remained in Warsaw, and were forced into the ghetto in 1940. Kazimierz’s mother bribed a German guard with gold coins to protect him during a selection. With the help of Romuald Kaszynski, the father of one of Tadeusz's friends, the family was able to escape from the ghetto. At one point Kazimierz was staying with a Polish prostitute who catered to German officers, and he was also on a farm for which they paid a great deal of money for him to stay there. Kazimierz used the false identity of Jerzy Krasucki, Irena became Irena Lasocka, and Tadeusz became Romuald Kaouseweski. Tadeusz was hidden by the Kaszynski family along with their grandfather, and Irena was hidden by an aunt who was Volkdeutsche. Only one aunt was aware of where everyone was hidden. After their liberation by the Soviet Army, the family was reunited. They returned to their apartment in Warsaw which was still standing. The family then went to Sweden where they received visas to immigrate to the United States. After a brief stay in Canada, they arrived in the United States where they were reunited with Szymon.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Casimir Biebers

The photographs were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum by Casimir Biebers in 2002.