Karmann family papers
Extent and Medium
folders
2
Creator(s)
- Karmann family
Biographical History
Richard Karmann (1895-1980) was born on March 12, 1895 in Pressburg, Austria-Hungary. Richard married Sidonie Karmann (née Roth, 1908-2008) who was born on February 29, 1908 in Eperjes, Austria-Hungary. Their daughter Annemarie Karmann (later Ana Gordon) was born on April 13, 1935 in Košice, Austria-Hungary. Before the war, Richard worked as traveling coffee salesman. The Karmann family were passengers on the MS St. Louis. Upon being denied entry to Cuba and the United States, the Karmanns were among the 181 passengers who disembarked in Holland. They were sent to the Hey Plat Quarantine Center and then released. Three weeks later they were arrested and interned in the Westerbork transit camp in the Netherlands. Richard Karmann was sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp, which he survived. In 1944, Sidonie and Annemarie Karmann were both sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany. Sidonie was issued the prisoner number 28056. Annemarie was issued the prisoner number 28055. Both survived and were liberated by the Swedish Red Cross. The family was reunited in Amsterdam, Holland, after the war. They eventually immigrated to Mexico where they joined Ana’s uncle. Her parents ran a silver shop in Mexico City. While in Mexico, Ana married and then divorced Enrique Bruner. They had four children, Daniel Bruner, Ethel Bruner, Jorge Bruner, and Silvia Bruner. In 1983, Ana moved to Los Angeles with her second husband, Mitchell Gordon. In 2009 Ana moved to Toronto, Canada to be closer to her son Daniel and his family.
Archival History
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Acquisition
Funding Note: The cataloging of this collection has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives received these papers from Elizabeth Hedlund. Elizabeth Hedlund received them from Ana Marie Gordon as part of her work on the St. Louis project.
Scope and Content
The Karmann family papers relate to the experience of the Karmann family aboard the MS St. Louis. The papers contain Cuban immigration cards for Richard Karmann, Sidonie Karmann, and Annemarie Karmman, as well as correspondence and passenger notifications written on Hamburg-Amerika Line stationery regarding the ongoing negotiations about the ships destination after being denied entry to Cuba. Handwritten English transcriptions of the correspondence is also included.
System of Arrangement
The Karmann family papers are arranged in two series. Series 1. Identification documents, 1939 Series 2. Correspondence, May - June 1939
People
- Gutmann, Sally.
- Gordon, Ana, 1935-
- Vendig, Ernst.
- Karmann, Richard, 1895-1980.
- Schröder, Gustav, 1885-1959.
- Karmann, Sidonie, 1908-2008.
- Berenson, Lawrence, 1891-1970.
- Sandler, Bernhard.
- Gonzalez, Manuel Benitez.
- Troper, Morris C.
- Henrich, José.
Corporate Bodies
- St. Louis (Ship)
- Hamburg-American Line
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945.
- Families.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
- Shipping companies (Marine transportation)
- Jewish children.
- Jewish children in the Holocaust.
- Holocaust survivors.
- Refugees.
- World War, 1939-1945--Refugees.
- Jewish refugees.
- United States.
- Cuba.
- Children.
Genre
- Identification cards.
- Correspondence.
- Document