Otto Wolf and Felicitas Garda papers
Extent and Medium
oversize boxes
2
Creator(s)
- Otto Wolf
- Felicitas Garda
Biographical History
Otto Wolf (1927‐1945) was born in Mohelnice, Czechoslovakia to Berthold and Růžena Wolf. He was raised in Olomouc with his brother Kurt (1915‐1943) and sister Felicitas (Lici, Licka, 1920‐2006). At the outbreak of war, the Wolf family relocated to Tršice. When the Wolf family was ordered to report for deportation in the summer of 1942, they decided to hide in the woods surrounding Olomouc with the help of Jaroslav Zdařil (Slávek) and later Alois Pluhař. When these relationships deteriorated, the family moved into the attic of the home of their former maid, Maria Zbořilová, for about a year, but when her husband became too afraid of discovery, they relocated to the attic of the Ohera family in nearby Zákřov. Otto was arrested and killed in April 1945 following a raid by Soviet collaborators directed by the Gestapo to eliminate Czech partisans. His father, mother, and sister were liberated the following month and learned that his brother had been killed in battle in Sokolovo in March 1943, fighting under General Ludvik Svoboda. Felicitas married Otto Grätzer, and the family changed its name to Garda after immigrating to the United States in 1968.
Archival History
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Acquisition
Funding Note: The digitization of this collection was made possible by the Crown Family.
Funding Note: The cataloging of this collection has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Funding Note: The accessibility of this collection was made possible by the generous donors to our crowdfunded Save Their Stories campaign.
Felicitas Garda donated the Otto Wolf and Felicitas Garda papers to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1995 and 2002.
Scope and Content
The Otto Wolf and Felicitas Garda papers consist primarily of four volumes describing the lives and activities of the Wolf family from the time they entered hiding in 1942 to escape the Holocaust in Czechoslovakia until their liberation in 1945. The first three volumes are written by Otto Wolf. Otto’s entries describe meals, weather conditions, the state of the family’s shelter, prayer, interactions with rescuers, dramatic developments, and occasional news of the war. After Otto’s arrest, Felicitas took it upon herself to carry on the diary entries. Her entries imitate Otto’s reporting style and describe his arrest, the family’s concerns about his fate, and their liberation, and she lists and thanks the people who helped them survive in hiding. The collection also includes five photographs of Otto, Kurt, Felicitas, Berthold, and Růžena Wolf as well as a memorial photograph containing a composite image of men and boys who died during the Holocaust, including Otto Wolf.
System of Arrangement
The Otto Wolf and Felicitas Garda papers are arranged as two series: I. Otto Wolf and Felicitas Garda diary, 1942-1945, II. Photographs, approximately 1940-1945
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Copyright Holder: Ms. Felicitas Garda
People
- Garda, Felicitas, 1920-2006.
- Wolf, Otto, 1927-1945.
Subjects
- Hidden children (Holocaust)--Czech Republic.
- Jews--Czech Republic--Olomouc.
- Hiding places--Czech Republic--Olomouc.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Personal narratives.
- Olomouc (Czech Republic)
Genre
- Photographs.
- Document
- Diaries.