Leica IIIa camera and brown leather case owned by a German Jewish refugee to Cuba

Identifier
irn517195
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2004.321.4 a-b
Dates
1 Jan 1935 - 31 Dec 1939
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • German
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

a: Height: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm) | Width: 6.125 inches (15.558 cm) | Depth: 2.375 inches (6.033 cm)

b: Height: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) | Width: 6.250 inches (15.875 cm) | Depth: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm)

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Hans John Bernhard was born in Berlin, Germany, on February 23, 1906, to Auguen and Marta Reich Bernhard. Auguen was born in Berlin in 1878. Hans owned a wholesale textile business. He was very active in sports and had belonged to a Jewish sports club in Berlin since the 1920s. In 1933, he married Sophie Charlotte Schlesinger, who had been born in Berlin on November 27, 1907. She worked as a window dresser in a clothing store. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, anti-Jewish legislation and restrictions became increasingly harsh. On November 12, 1938, Hans was notified that, as of January 1, 1939, he would no longer be able to operate a business in Germany because he was Jewish. Hans and Sophie decided to leave Germany and secured tickets for the MS Orinoco, set to sail from Hamburg to Havana, Cuba, on March 28, 1939. The day before their departure, the Nazi government changed the items that could be brought out of the country. They could only take one traveling trunk and there were strict limits on valuables. They had been planning to take their sterling silver flatware set, but now were allowed to take only one place setting per person. Their neighbor buried the remaining flatware in his yard. Their passports were stamped with the required J and included the required middle names Israel for men and Sarah for women. They arrived in Havana on April 16, and stayed in a boarding house operated by Polish Jews. The MS Orinoco was the last ship allowed to unload refugee passengers in Havana. The Bernhards lived off funds from Sophie’s sister who had emigrated to South Africa with her husband in 1936. On June 2, Hans and Sophie watched the MS St. Louis depart after the passengers were denied entry and the ship was ordered to leave Havana Bay. On March 12, 1940, Hans and Sophie emigrated to the United States via the Eastern SS Lines. Hans Americanized his name to Henry. They arrived in Miami and were helped by the Jewish community. Sophie spoke English but Henry only spoke German. A couple from Columbus, Georgia, the Schwobs, offered to help relocate Henry and Sophie. Simon Schwob had been born on the German-French border and spoke German. Henry and Sophie moved to Columbus on March 28. Sophie worked in a women’s dress store and Henry worked in Simon’s textile factory. In 1941, Henry and Sophie had a son. Henry’s father, Auguen, age 78, passed away in 1943 in Chile. After the war ended in May 1945, they retrieved the sterling silver flatware that their neighbor had buried for them. Sophie, age 78, passed away on August 1, 1982. Henry, age 97, passed away on September 26, 2003.

Sophie Charlotte Schlesinger was born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, on November 27, 1907. She had one sister. She worked as a window dresser in a clothing store. In 1933, she married Hans John Bernhard, who was born in Berlin on February 23, 1906. He owned a wholesale textile business. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, anti-Jewish legislation and restrictions became increasingly harsh. On November 12, 1938, Hans was notified that, as of January 1, 1939, he would no longer be able to operate a business in Germany because he was Jewish. Hans and Sophie decided to leave Germany and secured tickets for the MS Orinoco, set to sail from Hamburg to Havana, Cuba, on March 28, 1939. The day before their departure, the German government changed the regulations on the amount of belongings that could be taken out of Germany. Sophie and Hans could take only one traveling trunk and there were strict limits on valuables. They had been planning to take their sterling silver flatware set, but now were allowed to take only one place setting per person. Their neighbor buried the remaining flatware in his yard. Their passports were stamped with the required J and included the required middle names Israel for men and Sarah for women. They arrived in Havana on April 16, and stayed in a boarding house operated by Polish Jews. The MS Orinoco was the last ship allowed to unload refugee passengers in Havana. The Bernhards lived off funds from Sophie’s sister who had emigrated to South Africa with her husband in 1936. On June 2, Hans and Sophie watched the MS St. Louis depart after the passengers were denied entry and the ship was ordered to leave Havana Bay. On March 12, 1940, Hans and Sophie emigrated to the United States via the Eastern SS Lines. Hans Americanized his name to Henry. They arrived in Miami and were helped by the Jewish community. Sophie spoke English but Henry only spoke German. A couple from Columbus, Georgia, the Schwobs, offered to help relocate Henry and Sophie. Simon Schwob had been born on the German-French border and spoke German. Henry and Sophie moved to Columbus on March 28. Sophie worked in a women’s dress store and Henry worked in Simon’s textile factory. In 1941, Henry and Sophie had a son. Henry’s father, Auguen, age 78, passed away in 1943 in Chile. After the war ended in May 1945, they retrieved the sterling silver flatware that their neighbor had buried for them. Sophie, age 78, passed away on August 1, 1982. Henry, age 97, passed away on September 26, 2003.

Archival History

The camera and case were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2004 by Judge Aaron Cohn, on behalf of the Estate of Henry Bernhard.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Estate of Henry Bernhard

Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Scope and Content

Leica IIIa camera and brown leather cased purchased by Hans Bernhard in Berlin, Germany, prior to his emigration to Havana, Cuba, in March 1939. Hans purchased the camera with the intention to sell it if he ran short of funds, as there were strict limits on the amount of money Jews could take out of Germany. In November 1938, Hans was notified by the Nazi government that he would no longer be able to operate his textile wholesale business because he was Jewish. Hans and his wife, Sophie, sailed on the MS Orinoco from Hamburg on March 28, 1939. The Orinoco was the last ship allowed to unload refugee passengers from Europe in Havana. In March 1940, Hans and Sophie emigrated to the United States.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

a. Rectangular chrome steel alloy camera edged in black textured plastic. The front has a circular adjustable glass lens with a focusing lever edged in black plastic. The lens has a depth of field scale, a distance scale, and an iris diaphragm adjustment. On the upper left is a slow shutter-speed dial. The sides have a metal lug for a strap. The top left has a winding knob, a reversing lever, and a circular shutter release. On top is a raised rectangular viewfinder flanked by rangefinders on the front, a fast shutter-speed dial, accessory shoe and engraved text on the top, and 2 viewfinders on the back. On the top right is a rewinding knob. The underside has a screw cap to insert film. The camera is enclosed in the base of a dark brown leather fitted case with edge stitching and blue felt lining. The case sides have a leather strap remnant inserted through a horizontal leather band. The case back has a center metal snap for the case lid (.b). The case back is reinforced with fiberboard. b. Dark brown leather camera case lid with a rectangular, reinforced top with rounded, stitched edges. The front center has a protruding circular lens cover with a lower edge flap. A leather attachment is riveted to the back with a brown plastic button to attach to the corresponding snap on the case base (.a.) The interior is light brown leather and the lens cover is lined with blue felt.

Subjects

Genre

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.