Sketchbook created by young Jewish girl
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 12.500 inches (31.75 cm) | Width: 9.500 inches (24.13 cm)
Creator(s)
- Elizabeth Koenig (Artist)
Biographical History
Elizabeth Koenig (1924-2003) was born Elizabeth Kaufmann in Vienna to journalist Fritz Kaufmann and nurse Helen (Berggruen) Kaufmann. Fritz was put on trial in Germany for his anti-Nazi work and fled to Paris via Prague before the Anschluss in 1938. After several failed attempts to join him, Elizabeth finally arrived in Paris in November with her mother and brother, Peter, and attended art school. Fritz and Peter were interned as enemy aliens following the outbreak of World War II. Helen and Elizabeth fled south with other refugees as the Germans advanced on Paris, but were separated en route. Elizabeth found her brother in Toulouse, was reunited with her mother in Pau, and then joined Fritz near Limoges. Elizabeth found work in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon caring for the children of Pastor André Trocmé and then helping Dr. Juliette Usach care for German Jewish refugee children at the Secours Suisse aux Enfants home, La Guespy. Varian Fry of the Emergency Rescue Committee offered Fritz a non-quota American visa as an endangered, anti-Nazi European refugee intellectual caught in Vichy France, and helped secure visas for his family. The family was reunited in Lyon, traveled to Portugal in December 1941 via Marseilles and Spain. They sailed from Lisbon to the United States, arriving in February 1942.
Archival History
The sketchbook was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2001 by Elizabeth Koenig.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Elizabeth Koenig
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
multi-colored drawing; page divided into three sections with black brush strokes; top section - image of bedroom with large window, center back wall, through which can be seen faint traces of outside buildings, two beds face away from window in foreground against walls on either side of room, person in left bed with blankets pulled up to neck, person in right bed with blankets kicked to end of bed, toes of slippers poke out from under beds, chair beside each bed with clothes draped over them and shoes underneath, other articles from left to right (behind head of beds), dresser (with two pictures hanging above), two trunk-like pieces of furniture on either side of window with books and other items on top, and radiator lower left - outdoor scene with green trees and grassy area, mountains in background, to left, girl sits on ground in blue bodice dress with orange on short sleeve, hair ribbon and at neck, to right, boy sits next to girl, he wears blue jacket and knichers lower right - in foreground, door opening onto bathroom, man sits in tub sponging self with right hand and holds newspaper away from water with left, toilet to right of tub, bath mat behind tub and window above toilet
Genre
- Object
- Art