Edith Stein papers

Identifier
irn706957
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2019.347.1
Dates
1 Jan 1930 - 31 Dec 1985
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • English
  • Czech
  • Dutch
  • German
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

folders

book enclosure

4

1

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Edith Stein was born Edith Grunwald on 22 December 1935 in Antwerp, Belgium to Golde and Bernat Grunwald. Her parents married in 1934 in Antwerp. Her mother Golde (1904-1984) was born Golde Wachtenhein on 30 November 1904 in Volové, Czechoslovakia (Mizhhirya, Ukraine). Her father Bernat Grunwald (1904-1975) was born on 30 May 1904 in Bardejov (Slovakia) and worked as a tailor. Edith had one sister, Gisela Grunwald, who was born on 2 April 1938 in Antwerp. In May 1940 Germany invaded and occupied Belgium. The family fled Antwerp for France with Edith’s uncle Max Scheiner and his family in his bakery delivery truck. The family remained in hiding for approximately two years. They reunited with her uncle’s family in Nice and on 13 November 1942 they fled to a refugee camp in Altstätten, Switzerland. Edith and Gisela were sent to separately live with foster families in Gossau, Switzerland. Edith lived with a Protestant family, the Brassels, until liberation. After the war, the family returned to Antwerp. In 1951 they immigrated to the United States with assistance from Bernat’s brother Barney Grunwald and family cousin Mickey Singer. Her parents worked at a dry cleaner in Brooklyn and Bernat continued to also work as a tailor. Edith married Bernard Stein in 1955, and they had two children.

Archival History

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum collection, gift of Edith Stein

Donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2019 by Edith Stein.

Scope and Content

The collection documents the Holocaust-era experiences of Edith Stein (née Grunwald), her parents Bernat and Golde Grunwald, and her sister Gisela Grunwald including pre-war life in Antwerp, Belgium, wartime life as refugees in France and Altstätten, Switzerland, and post-war immigration to the United States in 1951. Biographical material includes an autograph book, family book (trouwboekje), identification documents, vaccine certificate, and a two-page personal narrative chronicling Edith’s story. Immigration papers include travel visas, Czech passports, declaration of intention forms, and naturalization certificates. Photographs include wartime depictions of the family in Gossau, Switzerland.

System of Arrangement

BE 1. Autograph album, 1944-1952 Folder 1 of 4. Biographical material, 1931-1985, undated Folder 2 of 4. Immigration, 1947-1960 Folder 3 of 4. Passports, Czechoslovakia, 1947 Folder 4 of 4. Photographs, 1930-1947, undated

People

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.