Judith Cromwell papers
Extent and Medium
boxes
oversize folders
2
3
Creator(s)
- Judith Cromwell
Biographical History
Judith Cromwell was born Judith Hanna Lissauer on 13 November 1935 in Berlin, Germany to John and Charlotte Lissauer. Her father, John Lissauer (1890-1946), was born on 10 April 1890 in Hamburg, Germany to Emil Lissauer (1862-1921) and Helene Lissauer (d. 1940). He had one brother, Hermann, who died during World War I, and two sisters, Irma (b. 1886, Irma Lissauer Wolfsohn) and Selma (Selma Lissauer Danziger). John went to medical school, and served as a doctor during World War I. Her mother, Charlotte Lissauer (1901-1992), was born Charlotte Breuer on 22 July 1901 in Ujpest, Budapest, Hungary to Julius Breuer (d. 1937?) and Julia Breuer (née Richter, nicknamed Kami). She had two brothers, Oskar and Tibor. Charlotte studied medicine at Berlin University and received her M.D. in 1928. John and Charlotte married in Berlin in 1930, where they both worked as pediatric doctors in hospitals and private practice. By 1938 John and Charlotte had applied for visas to immigrate to the United States, but had yet to receive them. During Kristallnacht (9-10 November 1938) John was arrested and imprisoned in Sachsenhausen. After his release, they received visas to the United Kingdom through assistance of John’s cousin Meno Lissauer, and arrived before the end of the year. The family lived in Hartlepool, England and both continued to practice medicine. John died in 1946, and Charlotte and Judith decided they wanted to immigrate to the United States. They immigrated to Montreal, Canada around 1949 and to the United States a year later in February 1950. They settled in New York where Charlotte continued to work as a doctor. Judith earned her Ph.D in Philosophy from New York University in 1973. Charlotte’s brother Oscar was drafted into the Hungarian Labor Battalion and perished during the war. Her other brother Tibor survived the war in Tangier.
Archival History
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum collection, gift of Judith Lissauer Cromwell
Donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2019 by Judith Lissauer Cromwell.
Scope and Content
The Judith Cromwell papers primarily document the pre-war and post-war experiences of Judith Cromwell (née Lissauer) and her parents John Lissauer and Charlotte Lissauer (née Breuer), including John and Charlotte’s medical careers in Berlin, Germany, John’s World War I military service, their immigration to England in 1939, and Judith and Charlotte’s post-war immigration to the United States in 1950. The bulk of the collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, and photographs. Biographical material primarily consists of identification documents of Charlotte and John Lissauer, as well as papers regarding their medical training and medical careers in Germany, England, and the United States. Other documents include papers regarding John’s World War I military service; John’s father Emil Lissauer; immigration to England and the United States; family history; a diary of Charlotte’s; a medical article authored by Charlotte, 1930; and birth, marriage, and death certificates. The bulk of the correspondence consists of pre-war family correspondence between John and Charlotte, as well as relatives in Hungary. There is a small amount of wartime letters written between 1939-1941. Photographs include pre-war depictions of the Lissauer and Breuer families, including John’s parents Emil and Helene Lissaur, his brother Hermann, and sisters Selma and Irma. There are numerous photographs and a modern photograph album depicting John’s experiences as a doctor during World War I, including images of fellow soldiers, prisoners of war, and medical staff.
System of Arrangement
The collection is arranged as three series. Series 1. Biographical material, 1875-1990 Series 2. Correspondence, 1930-1941, undated Series 3. Photographs, circa 1900-circa 1945
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Copyright Holder: Dr. Judith Cromwell
People
- Cromwell, Judith.
- Judith Cromwell
- Lissauer, John, 1890-1946.
- Lissauer, Charlotte, 1901-1992.
Corporate Bodies
Subjects
- World War, 1914-1918--Veterans--Germany.
- Holocaust survivors.
- World War, 1914-1918--Participation, Jewish.
- Jews--Germany--Berlin.
- Berlin (Germany)
- United States--Emigration and immigration.
- England--Emigration and immigration.
- Budapest (Hungary)
- Physicians--Germany.
Genre
- Document
- Diary.
- Photographs.
- Photograph albums.