Hirschfeld family papers

The Hirschfeld family papers document the pre-war, wartime, and post-war experiences of Alfred, Maria, and Hans Hirschfeld of Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland). The collection contains biographical materials, correspondence, immigration papers, financial records, restitution claims, and photographs. The papers document Hans Hirschfeld’s pre-war life in Breslau, his experiences immigrating to Cuba and the United States in 1939, and his service in the United States Army during World War II. They also document Alfred and Maria’s wartime experience in Breslau, their difficulties immigrating to the United States after the war, and attempts to reclaim property in Poland. The biographical material includes birth and marriage certificates, employment papers, school records, and Hans Hirschfeld’s United States Army papers. The correspondence chiefly belongs to Alfred and Hans. Alfred’s correspondence includes letters from friends written during and after the war. There are also letters from a correspondence book organized alphabetically that are personal, professional, and financial in nature. Hans’s correspondence includes letters exchanged with friends who also fled Germany in 1939, as well as those who were still there. There is a large amount of correspondence with his parents from 1939-1947, but there are no letters from 1942-1944. There are also letters from his relatives Amanda and Ernestine Schwartzberg in Shreveport, Louisiana whom assisted him with immigrating to the United States. Additionally, there are letters from Alfred’s mother, Johanna, to Hans and Alfred from 1939-1940 before she died in the Warsaw ghetto in 1941. The emigration and immigration papers include naturalization papers and correspondence. Much of correspondence is from Hans regarding his efforts to locate his parents after the war, and to assist them in their efforts to immigrate to the United States. Other papers regard his experiences immigrating to Cuba and the United States in 1939. The financial records of Alfred Hirschberg primarily contain tax, income, business, and property bills and records. The financial records used for assessing contributions owed to the Breslau synagogue contain similar types of material, as well as letters and documents from the synagogue. The restitution claims are for attempts by the Hirschfelds to reclaim property in Poland after the war. The photograph album consists of pre-war photographs of Hans and his friends in Germany. The printed material includes clippings and copies of Reichsgesetzblatt and Reichssteuerblatt from 1942.

The Hirschfeld family papers are arranged as seven series: All series arranged alphabetically. Series 1: Biographical materials, 1894-1969; Series 2: Correspondence, 1903-1953; Series 3: Emigration and immigration papers, 1938-1948; Series 4: Financial records, 1934-circa 1947; Series 5: Restitution claims, 1946-1970; Series 6: Photograph album, 1935-1938; Series 7: Printed material, 1935-1944.