Israel Gruzin collection
Extent and Medium
folder
1
Creator(s)
- Israel Gruzin
Biographical History
Israel Gruzin was born in Slobodka, Russia, on December 28, 1928. He had one brother. Israel attended Jewish day school as a child. In 1941, Israel's family began a horse and wagon journey towards Latvia because they feared the Germans' arrival in Lithuania. The bridge that the family wanted to cross was destroyed. They returned to Slobodka where they were forced to enter the ghetto in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania. Israel's family was taken to a castle where the Hitler Youth were taught. The entire family performed slave labor at this school. In 1943, Israel and his father and brother were sent to Dachau, a concentration camp in Germany; Israel's mother went to Stutthof, a concentration camp in Poland. Israel was then taken to Landsberg, a subcamp of Dachau, where he had to build barracks. In April 1944, Israel and his father and brother began a death march but were abandoned by the Germans because American troops were approaching. Israel was liberated on May 2, 1945. He married his wife in a displaced persons camp, and they immigrated to the United States shortly after.
Archival History
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Israel Gruzin
Donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1994 by Israel Gruzin.
Scope and Content
Contains several photographs taken in and near Landsberg, Germany and the Föhrenwald Displaced Persons camp soon after liberation, including images of Israel Gruzin with brothers Icik and Chaim Gruzin, and a photograph of General Dwight Eisenhower visiting Föhrenwald. Also includes images of the dedication of a memorial in 1955 and an invitation to a ceremony to commemorate Lithuanian Jews. Additionally, there is a clipping from the newspaper “Daily Jewish Forward” which includes a letter to General Eisenhower by Israel Gruzin, a magazine articles with images of the Landsberg camp, and an invitation to attend a "Great Commerative [sic] Academy" in memory of Lithuanian Jews, to be held in Landsberg.
System of Arrangement
The Israel Gruzin collectionn are arranged as a single series.
People
- Israel Gruzin
- Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969.
- Gruzin, Israel.
Corporate Bodies
- Landsberg (Concentration camp)
- Föhrenwald (Displaced persons camp)
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Liberation.
- Landsberg am Lech (Germany)
Genre
- Newspapers.
- Photographs.
- Document