Walter Kamlet papers

Identifier
irn81219
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2014.332.1
Dates
1 Jan 1928 - 31 Dec 2007, 1 Jan 1940 - 31 Dec 1956
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • German
  • English
  • French
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

box

1

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Walter Kamlet was born in Berlin, Germany, on October 22, 1922, to Benno and Mila Kamlet. He had a younger brother, Manfred. Benno Kamlet owned a sporting goods store in Berlin. During the war, the family moved to Belgium where Benno and Mila survived the Holocaust in hiding while Walter and Manfred were placed in a children’s home. In May 1940, the children's home was evacuated to France, ending up at Château de la Hille, near the Spanish border. Walter was a skilled musician and played concerts for the other children at la Hille, and received treatment for tuberculosis. In April 1944, he and Manfred escaped into Switzerland, as did Manfred. Walter remained in Switzerland for the rest of his life, living with his companion, Christa Salanthe.

Archival History

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Christa Salathe

The Estate of Walter Kamlet donated this collection to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on June 2, 2014.

Scope and Content

Consists of original pre-war, wartime, and post-war documents, restitution paperwork, and photographs related to the life and Holocaust experiences of Walter Kamlet, originally of Berlin, Germany. The collection includes information regarding Kamlet's life as a teenager at the Château de la Hille children's home run by the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (OSE), as well as a large number of photographs of the other children in the home, and documents regarding his escape into Switzerland in April 1944. Also includes documents about Kamlet's parents, Benno and Mila Kamlet, who survived the Holocaust in hiding in Belgium.

System of Arrangement

The Walter Kamlet papers are arranged as two series: Series 1: Documents, 1928-2007 Series 2: Photographs, 1942-1944 and undated

People

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

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.