Ludwig Hiss collection

Identifier
irn556048
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2017.124.1
Dates
1 Jan 1935 - 31 Dec 1961, 1 Jan 1945 - 31 Dec 1947
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • English
  • Yiddish
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

folders

8

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Ludwig Hiss (1929-2016) was born on 1 December 1929 in Lwów, Poland (present day Lviv, Ukraine) to Joseph (1900-1945) and Ida (née Sigulim) Hiss. The family moved to Borysław, Poland (present day Boryslav, Ukraine) when Ludwig was one year old. Joseph was an engineer and worked for the Carpathian Oil Company. In 1942 the Jews of Borysław were moved to a ghetto. Ludwig was a forced-laborer, and was detained several times. The family was then deported to the Płaszów concentration camp. Ludwig and his father were deported to the Mauthausen concentration camp in 1943. Ludwig’s mother was later deported from Płaszów to the Auschwitz concentration camp where she perished. While at Mauthausen, Ludwig worked in the kitchen, and his father briefly worked in the stone quarry. After about 3 months Ludwig and his father were deported to another concentration camp in Linz, Austria. Ludwig’s father died 2 days before the camp was liberated. After liberation, Ludwig lived in a displaced persons camp in Linz and got a job working for the United States Army. After the camp was shut down, Ludwig went a DP camp in Salzburg, Austria. From there he went to the Zeilsheim DP camp near Frankfurt, Germany. In 1947, he immigrated to the United States on the SS Marine Perch. He went to the Bellfaire Jewish orphanage in Cleveland, Ohio. where he learned English and went to school. In 1948 Ludwig joined the United States Army. After the army, he eventually founded a custom home building company. He and his wife Carolyn, along with their two children Laura and Joseph, later settled in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Archival History

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Laura Ginns

Donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2017 by Laura Ginns.

Scope and Content

The collection documents the post-war experiences of Ludwig Hiss of Borysław, Poland in the Zeilsheim displaced persons camp; other DP camps in Linz, Austria; and the Bellfaire orphanage in Cleveland, Ohio. Documents include a civilian transportation pass from Linz; a newspaper clipping describing Ludwig’s story; and two writings of Ludwig describing his experiences during and after the war. Photographs include depictions of the DP camps, Ludwig’s immigration to the United States onboard the SS Marine Perch, and the Bellfaire orphanage he lived in after he arrived. There are also a few pre-war photographs of the Hiss family in Borysław.

System of Arrangement

The collection is arranged as one series.

People

Corporate Bodies

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.