Infant’s open back blouse with blue monogram made in DP camp

Vladimir Brandwajn was born on August 14, 1946, in Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp in Germany, to Rachmiel and Luba Goldziuk Brandwajn. Rachmiel was born on January 16, 1913, in Chelm, near Lublin, Poland. Luba was born on September 23, 1910, in Lomza. The couple met as university students in Warsaw around 1939. Following the German invasion of Poland, they relocated to the Soviet controlled eastern sector. The couple decided to marry in 1941 when Rachmiel was drafted into the Soviet Army. After the war ended in 1945, Luba and Rachmiel moved to Hohne, Germany, and then to Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp. Vladimir was the first baby born in the camp. He had one brother, Alexander, born on April 13, 1948, also in the camp. The next year, the family moved to Wroclaw, Poland, and in 1950 to Warsaw. His parents wished to move to the United States, but could not get US entry visas because of Rachmiel’s communist activities. His parents later emigrated to Israel where Rachmiel died in 1990 and Luba in 1998. Vladimir was arrested in 1968 for participating in the political protests against the oppressive communist government of Poland. In 1973, he left for Canada. Vladimir moved to San Francisco in 1982, where he married Claudia Greif.

Luba Goldziuk was born on September 23, 1910, in Lomza, Poland. She attended university in Warsaw where she met Rachmiel Brandwajn. Rachmiel was born on January 16, 1913, in Chelm, near Lublin. He had been a student in France, but had to leave the country because of his communist political activity. In September 1939, Germany invaded and occupied Poland. Luba and Rachmiel relocated to the Soviet controlled eastern sector of the country. In 1941, Rachmiel was drafted into the Soviet Army; the couple married before he was deployed. Following the war’s end in May 1945, Luba and Rachmiel moved to Hohne, Germany, and then to Bergen-Belsen displaced persons camp. Rachmiel learned that all the members of his family had been killed during the war, except for one uncle. The couple had a son, Vladimir, on August 14, 1946. He was the first child born in the camp. Their second son, Alexander, was born there on April 13, 1948. They wished to emigrate to the United States but the US would not issue visas to the family because of Rachmiel’s communist activities. In 1949, the family moved to Wroclaw, Poland, and, the next year, they returned to Warsaw. Rachmiel received a doctorate from Gottingen University in Germany. Rachmiel and Luba later emigrated to Israel. Rachmiel passed away, age 77, in 1990. Luba passed away, age 87, in 1998.

The infant's shirt was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2010 by Vladimir Brandwajn.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Vladimir Brandwajn

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