Estrea Aelion: copy jubilee album

Identifier
WL1769
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 71171
Dates
1 Jan 1984 - 31 Jan 1984
Level of Description
Collection
Languages
  • English
Source
EHRI Partner

Biographical History

Estrea Aelion was born in Salonica (Thessaloniki), Greece, in 1884. She was the daughter of a jeweller and pearl merchant Jacob Matalon (d 1931) and his wife Rachelle (née Errera, d 1943). She had two siblings: Gedalia (d 1927) and Isaac (d 1968). In 1905 Estrea got married to Saltiel Aelion (1879-1947) in Salonica. They had two children: Leon Luiz (b 1907) and Irma Clara (b 1910). In 1920 the family moved to Constantinople and in 1923 to Paris. In 1930 Irma married Maurice Elie Franses in Paris where they lived until they moved to London in 1934. Leon married Lillian Abrahamson in London in 1934 where he had been living since 1927. In 1936 Estrea and Hadji also moved to London to be with their children.

Estrea's brother Gedalia Matalon died in 1927 after illness. His extended family stayed in the large family home in Salonica until the outbreak of the Second World War. They remained in Salonica during the Italian occupation but went to Athens when the Germans started occupying Greece in 1943. Beatrice and her mother Caroline Matalon survived the war having been given refuge by two non Jewish (Greek Orthodox) families and escaping impending deportation to the concentration camps. Her grandfather found refuge at a clinic and also survived the war. Their house in Salonica was burned down. Beatrice and her mother Caroline moved to Paris in 1948. Beatrice got married to Richard Barzilay in 1956 who had also lost a large part of his family.

Acquisition

Jubilee album, 100 years great-grandmother (copy)

Donated April 2008

Donor: Jonathan Golden

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a copy jubilee album (translation from French) relating to the life and times of Estrea Aelion for her seven great-grandchildren in celebration of her hundredth birthday in May 1984, compiled by Jacqueline Golden. Estrea Aelion, of Greek Jewish origin, came to England in 1934. Her brother's family remained in Greece during the German occupation. Several of family members perished in concentration camps but her sister-in-law and niece survived in hiding in Athens.

Album containing photographs and details of Estrea Aelion's life and that of her grandchildren and great-gradchildren put into the political and social context of the times through contemporary press cuttings. Also includes a family tree, transcript of her life story, and copy of her niece Beatrice Barzilay's story submitted to Yad Vashem regarding  her life in hiding during the German occupation in Athens.

Conditions Governing Access

Open

People

  • Matalon family
  • Barzilay family
  • Aelion family

Subjects

Places

  • Thessaloniki
  • London
  • Athens
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.

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