Leica IIIa camera and brown leather case owned by a German Jewish refugee to Cuba

Hans John Bernhard was born in Berlin, Germany, on February 23, 1906, to Auguen and Marta Reich Bernhard. Auguen was born in Berlin in 1878. Hans owned a wholesale textile business. He was very active in sports and had belonged to a Jewish sports club in Berlin since the 1920s. In 1933, he married Sophie Charlotte Schlesinger, who had been born in Berlin on November 27, 1907. She worked as a window dresser in a clothing store. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, anti-Jewish legislation and restrictions became increasingly harsh. On November 12, 1938, Hans was notified that, as of January 1, 1939, he would no longer be able to operate a business in Germany because he was Jewish. Hans and Sophie decided to leave Germany and secured tickets for the MS Orinoco, set to sail from Hamburg to Havana, Cuba, on March 28, 1939. The day before their departure, the Nazi government changed the items that could be brought out of the country. They could only take one traveling trunk and there were strict limits on valuables. They had been planning to take their sterling silver flatware set, but now were allowed to take only one place setting per person. Their neighbor buried the remaining flatware in his yard. Their passports were stamped with the required J and included the required middle names Israel for men and Sarah for women. They arrived in Havana on April 16, and stayed in a boarding house operated by Polish Jews. The MS Orinoco was the last ship allowed to unload refugee passengers in Havana. The Bernhards lived off funds from Sophie’s sister who had emigrated to South Africa with her husband in 1936. On June 2, Hans and Sophie watched the MS St. Louis depart after the passengers were denied entry and the ship was ordered to leave Havana Bay. On March 12, 1940, Hans and Sophie emigrated to the United States via the Eastern SS Lines. Hans Americanized his name to Henry. They arrived in Miami and were helped by the Jewish community. Sophie spoke English but Henry only spoke German. A couple from Columbus, Georgia, the Schwobs, offered to help relocate Henry and Sophie. Simon Schwob had been born on the German-French border and spoke German. Henry and Sophie moved to Columbus on March 28. Sophie worked in a women’s dress store and Henry worked in Simon’s textile factory. In 1941, Henry and Sophie had a son. Henry’s father, Auguen, age 78, passed away in 1943 in Chile. After the war ended in May 1945, they retrieved the sterling silver flatware that their neighbor had buried for them. Sophie, age 78, passed away on August 1, 1982. Henry, age 97, passed away on September 26, 2003.

Sophie Charlotte Schlesinger was born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, on November 27, 1907. She had one sister. She worked as a window dresser in a clothing store. In 1933, she married Hans John Bernhard, who was born in Berlin on February 23, 1906. He owned a wholesale textile business. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, anti-Jewish legislation and restrictions became increasingly harsh. On November 12, 1938, Hans was notified that, as of January 1, 1939, he would no longer be able to operate a business in Germany because he was Jewish. Hans and Sophie decided to leave Germany and secured tickets for the MS Orinoco, set to sail from Hamburg to Havana, Cuba, on March 28, 1939. The day before their departure, the German government changed the regulations on the amount of belongings that could be taken out of Germany. Sophie and Hans could take only one traveling trunk and there were strict limits on valuables. They had been planning to take their sterling silver flatware set, but now were allowed to take only one place setting per person. Their neighbor buried the remaining flatware in his yard. Their passports were stamped with the required J and included the required middle names Israel for men and Sarah for women. They arrived in Havana on April 16, and stayed in a boarding house operated by Polish Jews. The MS Orinoco was the last ship allowed to unload refugee passengers in Havana. The Bernhards lived off funds from Sophie’s sister who had emigrated to South Africa with her husband in 1936. On June 2, Hans and Sophie watched the MS St. Louis depart after the passengers were denied entry and the ship was ordered to leave Havana Bay. On March 12, 1940, Hans and Sophie emigrated to the United States via the Eastern SS Lines. Hans Americanized his name to Henry. They arrived in Miami and were helped by the Jewish community. Sophie spoke English but Henry only spoke German. A couple from Columbus, Georgia, the Schwobs, offered to help relocate Henry and Sophie. Simon Schwob had been born on the German-French border and spoke German. Henry and Sophie moved to Columbus on March 28. Sophie worked in a women’s dress store and Henry worked in Simon’s textile factory. In 1941, Henry and Sophie had a son. Henry’s father, Auguen, age 78, passed away in 1943 in Chile. After the war ended in May 1945, they retrieved the sterling silver flatware that their neighbor had buried for them. Sophie, age 78, passed away on August 1, 1982. Henry, age 97, passed away on September 26, 2003.

The camera and case were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2004 by Judge Aaron Cohn, on behalf of the Estate of Henry Bernhard.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Estate of Henry Bernhard

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