Dr. Erwin and Edie Koranyi fonds

Identifier
I0058
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 325
Dates
1 Jan 1944 - 31 Dec 2011
Level of Description
Fonds
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

textual records; 1 framed document; 3 books; 3 artifacts; 1 DVD interview

1 box in OS

Biographical History

Erwin Koranyi was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1924. He had one sister, Marta Koranyi. Before Erwin's birth his father changed the family name from Kohn to Koranyi in order to get a business license. Erwin Koranyi was one of the estimated 100,000 Jews saved during the Holocaust by Swedish diplomat Raul Wallenberg. Wallenberg issued a very formidable looking protective passport or “Schutz-Pass” that declared the holder to be under the protection of the Swedish government. Erwin was able to receive passports for his entire family, including his then wife Lici (Alice) Breur and her brother. As “Swedes” they were allowed more freedoms than Hungarian Jews and were not required to wear the yellow star. Wallenberg was able to help Erwin and Lici a second time six months later when they had been caught in a roundup, destined to be shot on the banks of the Danube River. Wallenberg arrived with the police commissioner where hundreds of Jews were waiting and was able to secure everyone’s release. After the wat Erwin and Lici Breur were divorced and she remained in Stockholm, Sweden. Erwin moved to Ottawa, Canada, became a physician and psychiatrist and remarried to Edie Rosenbaum, who was also a holocaust survivor who originated from Budapest. Edie was a former art dealer well known for her philanthropic works. Erwin Koranyi passed away on June 11, 2012, a year after a he was recorded in a final video interview with Laurie Dougherty, past Archivist of the Ottawa Jewish Archives.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of the following documents, photographs and items: 1 framed document entitled Schutz-Pass No. 0176, issued in July 1944 by R. Wallenberg. It is written in German and Hungarian and contains a photograph of Erwin Koranyi (see 1-969); 1 Displaced Person’s Identity Card (with photograph) from Wiesenhof, Austria DP Camp (see 1-972-02/03); 1 document written 28 Feb 1951 from the International Refugee Organization (IRO) in Dusseldorf to Mr. Erwin Koranyi (see 1-972-04); 1 document written in Hungarian, issued by the Swedish Royal Embassy which exempted Erwin Koranyi from forced labour (because he possessed a Swedish Defense Passport) (see 1-972-05); 1 Identity Book for forced labour (issued approximately one year before the Schutz-pass) that identified Erwin Koranyi as a Jew with a red Zs (for Zsido) on front cover (see 1-972-06/07); 1 copy of Hungarian document issued by the Hungarian government August 21, 1944 which certifies that Erwin Koranyi is exempt from wearing a yellow star; 1 copy of a photograph of Dr. Alice (“Lici”) Breur on the first day that she wore the yellow star (see 1-972-01); 2 laminated copies of Wallenberg’s Day book (diary) which was published in a Swedish newspaper called, "Expression" in 1990. The day book entry shows that Koranyi visited Wallenberg on August 3, 1944 at 16:00. On August 7, 1944 it shows "5 finger" (which refers to 5 prisoners being released) one of whom was Lici. A note from Lici to Koranyi explaining how she found these items accompanies this document; 2 copies of a notification to Jews in Budapest dated November 1944, that was posted in the streets to inform Jewish people what they were allowed to take to the ghetto; 1 book "Dreams and Tears: Chronicle of a Life," by Erwin K. Koranyi; 1 book, "The Envoy" by Alex Kershaw; 1 book, "The Agony and the Healing: an autobiography" by Marta Koranyi Sebor; 1 clay pot dated to the Iron Age II (930 BCE - 586 BCE). Presented as the Negev Award to Erwin and Edie Koranyi by Ben-Gurion University on Sept 7, 1997 in Ottawa, Canada (see 1-952-03); 1 Hand-made wood, metal and bullet casings menorah presented to Edie Koranyi by the Zahal Military Unit 3368 from Israel, 1973 (see Photographic Database - 1-952-02). Menorah comes with hand-written Hebrew document with ink sketches (see 1-952-04); 1 award, presented to Edie Koranyi by the Zahal Disabled Veterans Organization, "Beit Halochem" (see 1-952-01); 1 DVD interview of Dr. Koranyi, dated July 4, 2011; 1 cassette tape explaining the significance and purpose of the documents in the Koranyi collection.

Note(s)

    1. Erwin Koranyi's maternal grandparents were Samuel Schwartz (b. 1854) and Rosa Schlesinger.
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.