Goldstein and Thebner families papers
Extent and Medium
folders
6
1 oversize folder
Creator(s)
- Goldstein family
- Thebner family
Biographical History
Meier Twiasschor (b.1863 in Poland) was married to Lea Goldstein (b.1864 in Kolomyja, Poland) and they had two children, Paul and Diana. Meier and Lea moved from Kolomyja, Poland (currently Ukraine) to Berlin where he was the owner of Columbia Matratzen Stempel & Co and Möbelgeschäft Meier Twiasschorin. Meier and Lea were deported on July 21, 1942 from Berlin to Theresienstadt. Their son Paul had two daughters, Edith and Regina, who both escaped to England to work in households. Their daughter Diana married Israel Goldstein and they had three children Sally (b.1912), Ruth (1914-1997) and Alfred (b.1924) and lived in Berlin. Sally married Siegfried Stempel and had two sons, Oskar (Ozzy, b.1935) and Larry. Siegfried was deported to a labor camp in Belgium, but Sally was able to get him out and they immigrated to the United States. Israel went to New York City where he secured affidavits for his family’s departure, but when he returned to Berlin, he, Diana, and their son Alfred were deported and killed. Ruth was able to use the affidavit because she fell under the German quota and not the Polish quota, as her parents did. Ruth immigrated to the United States.
Isidor Thebner (1875-1944) was born to Michael Thebner, a Rabbi in Vienne, and had six siblings. Isidor was the second oldest son and worked in the shoe business as a representative for Coward Shoes. He and his wife Katarina (Kate, 1879-1933) had two sons, Otto and Arthur (1904-1952), and lived in Vienna. Kate had a brother Ludwig Szinberger, who was deported and died in 1942. Ludwig had a daughter, Ilse (1914-1998) who was able to escape to London. Kate died in 1933. Isidor emigrated from Vienna to the United States in 1939 with his two sons, Otto and Arthur. In 1944 Isidor suffered a heart attack and died. Otto moved to Middleboro, Massachusetts with his wife Lotte where they were also in the shoe business and did not have any children. Arthur moved from Massachusetts to Philadelphia and then to New York where he met and married Ruth Goldstein. They had one daughter, Kathryn (Kitty, 1946), named after Arthur’s mother.
Archival History
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Acquisition
Funding Note: The accessibility of this collection was made possible by the generous donors to our crowdfunded Save Their Stories campaign.
Kitty Ruderman donated the Goldstein and Thebner families papers to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2002.
Scope and Content
The Goldstein and Thebner families papers consist of biographical material, correspondence, a diary, and photographs relating to Ruth Goldstein and Arthur Thebner’s families pre-war and wartime experiences. The collection includes a large amount of correspondence among family members relating to their attempts to emigrate from Germany as well as pre-war family photographs. The collection also includes a diary written by Ilse Szinberger, Arthur’s cousin, during her time in London from 1942-1958. The Goldstein family papers include a copy of a birth certificate for Ruth Goldstein, a document granting Ruth permission for immigration, a copy of a visa issued to Ruth allowing her to stay in Berlin, and a post card addressed to Sally Goldsteim from her parents. This is the last time Sally and Ruth heard from their parents. The series also includes pre-war photographs of the Goldstein family, mainly of Ruth. The Thebner family papers include a report card for Ilse, a marriage certificate and wedding invitation for Arthur and Ruth, a marriage certificate for Ezechiel Thebner and Kate Szinberger, and a death certificate for Kate as well as pre-war photographs of the Thebner family including Arthur, Otto, Ludwig, and Ilse. The series also includes original and copies of correspondence from Ludwig Szingerger to his daughter Ilse Szinberger in London, Bernhard Stuz to Arthur Thenber, and Arthur Thenber to his cousin, Isle Szinberger, regarding various attempt to emigrate, fate of family members, and the worsening conditions. Also included is a diary kept by Isle Szinberger from 1942-1998, including her time in London.
System of Arrangement
The Goldstein and Thebner families papers are arranged as two series: Series 1: Goldstein family papers, approximately 1917-1940 Series 2: Thebner family papers, approximately 1925-1958
People
- Goldstein, Lea, 1864-
- Goldstein family
- Goldstein, Ruth, 1914-1997.
- Thebner, Isidor, 1875-1944.
- Thebner, Arthur.
- Thebner family
- Twiasschor, Meier, 1863-
Subjects
- Berlin (Germany)
- Holocaust survivors--Germany.
- World War, 1939‐1945‐‐Personal narratives.
- United States--Emigration and immigration--History.
- Vienna (Austria)
- Holocaust survivors--Poland.
Genre
- Diaries.
- Document
- Photographs.
- Correspondence.