Felix Lilienthal family papers
Extent and Medium
boxes
oversize box
4
1
Creator(s)
- Felix Lilienthal
Biographical History
Saul Lilienthal (1877-1944) was born on 21 October 1877 in the village of Jeruty, East Prussia (present day Szczytno County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland) to Heiman and Cecilia Lilienthal (née Loewy). He had one sister, Johanna (later Johanna Deutschland), and three brothers, Samuel, Abraham (1885-1956), and Herbert. Johanna immigrated to Montevideo, Uruguay by 1932, and remained there for the duration of her life. Bertha Fuchs (1880-1943) was born on 26 May 1880 in Stadtlengsfeld, Germany to Sandel (1848-1906) and Jeanette (née Goldschmit, 1847-1901) Fuchs. She had one sister, Therese (later Therese Klein, 1879-), and one brother, Hugo (1878-1949). Hugo was a rabbi in Chemnitz, Germany until 1939 when he immigrated to Argentina where he remained for the duration of the war. Saul married Bertha in 1905 and they had three sons, Lebrecht (1906-1943), Theodor (1908-1987), and Felix (1921-1986). He was a teacher and cantor in several cities including Leipzig, Germany, 1896-1899; Düsseldorf, Germany, 1899-1906; Berlin, Germany, 1910-1911; Posen (present-day Poznan, Poland), 1912-1920; Freiburg, Germany, 1920-1924; and Wiesbaden, Germany, 1924-1938. In 1938, Felix emigrated from Wiesbaden to Treinta y Tres, and then to Montevideo. He remained there for the duration of the war. He married Elisabeth Salfeld (1920-1988) and they had one son, Alejandro. Theodor immigrated to Göteborg, Sweden by 1938. Lebrecht and his wife Juliette (née Prins, 1905-1943) immigrated to Amsterdam, The Netherlands by 1938. Their daughter, Marion (1940-1943) was born in 1940. Saul and Bertha joined them in 1939. They were all deported to the Westerbork concentration camp by 1943. On 14 September 1943, Saul and Bertha were deported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. On 27 January 1944 they were deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. On 28 October 1944 they were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp where they perished two days later. Lebrecht, Juliette, and Marion were deported on 6 July 1943 to the Sobibór extermination camp where they were killed on 9 July.
Archival History
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Rabbi Alejandro Lilienthal
The Felix Lilienthal family papers were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum by Alejandro Lilienthal in 2017.
Scope and Content
The collection contains pre-war and wartime correspondence between members of the Lilienthal family of Wiesbaden, Germany. Pre-war correspondence includes letters sent to Saul Lilienthal, a cantor and teacher, from when he was living in Posen (present-day Poznan, Poland); Freiburg, Germany; and Wiesbaden; as well as general family correspondence. Wartime correspondence primarily contains letters sent to Felix Lilienthal, who immigrated to Treinta y Tres and then to Montevideo, Uruguay in 1938. Included are letters sent by Saul and Bertha Lilienthal from Wiesbaden in 1938, and then from Amsterdam, the Netherlands from 1939-1942; his brother Lebrecht and his wife Juliette in Amsterdam, his brother Theodor in Göteborg, Sweden; and other relatives and friends. Many letters contain notes written by other family members. Some letters also include typed transcriptions done by the donor. The collection also includes pre-war blank postcards; documents from the International Red Cross regarding the fates of Saul, Bertha, Lebrecht, and Juliette; and a restitution document.
System of Arrangement
The collection is arranged as one series.
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Copyright Holder: Rabbi Alejandro Lilienthal
People
- Lilienthal, Bertha, 1880-1944.
- Lilienthal, Theodor, 1908-1987.
- Lilienthal, Saul, 1877-1944.
- Lilienthal, Juliette, 1905-1943.
- Lilienthal, Lebrecht, 1906-1943.
- Lilienthal, Felix, 1921-1986.
Corporate Bodies
Subjects
- Cantors (Judaism)
- Wiesbaden (Germany)
- Montevideo (Uruguay)
- Holocaust Jewish (1939-1945)
- Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Jewish families--Germany.
- Refugees, Jewish.
Genre
- Correspondence.
- Document