Elfriede Schloss papers

Elfriede Schloss (1926- ) was born to Julius and Recha Meyer in the town of Mönchengladbach in Germany. Her father, a veteran from World War I, ran a business selling uniforms to various professions. His experience in World War I left him sickly, however, and in 1937 he died of tuberculosis. Elfriede’s mother and older sister, Clara, soon moved to Frankfurt, where Recha’s family lived. Despite moving closer to relatives, and for reasons she cannot recall, Elfriede was placed in a Jewish orphanage. In 1939, the children in the orphanage had several options for relocation, as they could not attend school due to anti-Semitic laws. Recha decided on France for Elfriede, as she believed that the widespread anti-Semitism would quickly blow over. Elfriede and about twenty others from the orphanage attended school near Eaubonne, France, for two years. In spring of 1941, Elfriede and 99 other children were selected to immigrate to the United States, through arrangements made by the American Friends Service Committee. The children traveled through Spain and sailed from Portugal. Elfriede lived with an uncle in Chicago, before marrying Edmund Schloss in 1947. Her mother and sister were transported to Auschwitz and killed in 1942.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Elfriede Schloss

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Elfriede Schloss

The Elfriede Schloss papers were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum by Elfriede Schloss in 1993 and 2000. These two donations have since been merged together, and can be located through the accession number 1995.A.0368.