Tauber Holocaust Library
Guide to Becker family papers
1989.1002
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- Tauber Holocaust Library
- Creator
- Becker family
- Title
- Becker family papers
- ID
- 1989.1002
- Date [inclusive]
- 1939-1941
- Extent
- 1.0 Folder(s)
- Language
- Multiple languages
- Language of Materials note
- Correspondence is in Polish and German. Receipts are in English. English translations are available for some of the Polish and German material.
- Mixed materials [Folder]
- Archives Box 6
- Abstract
- The Becker family papers are comprised of family correspondence during the period 1939-1941, including letters and postcards sent from the Warsaw and Lodz ghettos from some members of the Becker family to family members living in the United States.
Preferred Citation note
Becker Family papers - 1989.1002, Tauber Holocaust Library - JFCS Holocaust Center, San Francisco, California
Biographical Information
Before the invasion and occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Becker family lived in Lodz, Poland.
Martin Becker (1917-2001) attended the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and later studied economics at Carleton College, Northfield, MN. At the time of Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, Martin was living in New York, where he had an uncle who owned a bakery. His mother, who had been visiting him earlier from Poland, was at sea, returning to Poland. Unable to reach Poland, his mother was rerouted and returned to the United States, where she spent the rest of her life. Family members Abraham, Tadek and Lolek remained behind and were trapped in Nazi-occupied Poland. Their home was confiscated by authorities; they were forced to move to the Warsaw Ghetto.
Martin registered for the US military draft, and received military intelligence training at Camp Ritchie, Maryland. He served in Europe during the war, and entered Dachau concentration camp in April 1945. Towards the end of the war, he was as an interrogator of German suspects for war crimes trials.
According to a note included in the file by Martin Becker, donor of the collection, his father and brothers perished at Treblinka death camp.
Scope and Contents note
This collection is comprised of correspondence – mostly postcards, but some letters and a telegram – sent primarily from members of the Becker family still living in Europe to other family members living in the United States and Holland during the period from November 1939 until late 1941. The postcards and letters document the desperate situation of those left in Poland. They illustrate the difficulties of escape and the great impediments families faced in trying to rescue family members. Several postcards contain heart-breaking pleas for assistance in obtaining transit visas and papers, and awareness of an uncertain future.
Also included are postal return receipts, and receipts for food packages sent to family members in Warsaw, Krosniewice and Kutno, Pola
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Tauber Holocaust Library
JFCS Holocaust Center2245 Post Street
San Francisco, CA, 94115
415-449-3717
[email protected]
Conditions Governing Access note
There are no restrictions to access for this collection.
Conditions Governing Use note
There are no restrictions to use for this collection.
Related Materials
Related Archival Materials note
Video oral histories of Martin Becker were conducted on May 24, 1993 and July 14, 1993, and are available for viewing upon request.
Controlled Access Headings
Genre(s)
- Family papers -- Poland
- Postcards -- Poland
- Receipts -- Poland
Geographic Name(s)
- Lodz (Poland)
- Warsaw (Poland)
Personal Name(s)
- Becker, Abraham
- Becker, Lolek
- Becker, Tadek
Subject(s)
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Poland -- Lodz
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Poland -- Warsaw
- Jewish families -- Poland
- Jews -- Persecutions -- Poland -- Lodz
- Jews -- Persecutions -- Poland -- Warsaw
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Civilian relief -- Poland
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Lodz
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Warsaw.
Collection Inventory
Postcards 1939-1941 |
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Postcards to Z. Becker 1939-1941 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 January 12 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 February 2 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Frajdla Harbszlazk, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 February 3 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from J. Dancygier, Krosniewice, Poland. 1941 March 3 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 March 16 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from J. Dancyger, Krosniewice. 1941 April 23 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 May 21 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 May 21 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Frajdla Harbszlazk, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 June 6 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from D. Beker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 June 6 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Dancyger, Krosniewice, Poland. 1941 July 24 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Beker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 September 7 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Beker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 September 10 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Beker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 September 16 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, from Dancyger, Krosniewiece, Poland. 1941 October 7 |
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Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Z. Kaufman, Warsaw, Poland 1941 October 18 |
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Postcards to M. Becker 1939-1941 |
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Martin Becker Postcard, Northfield, Minnesota from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland. 1940 January 18 |
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Martin Becker postcard, Northfield, Minnesota from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland. 1940 February 28 |
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Martin Becker postcard, Northfield, Minnesota from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland. 1940 [?] February 21 |
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Martin Becker postcard, Paterson, New Jersey, from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 August 12 |
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Other Postcards 1939-1941 |
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M. Rajchcaja postcard, Amsterdam, Holland from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland. 1940 February 28 |
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Kaufman's Bakery postcard, Buffalo, New York from Lodz Ghetto. 1940 September 22 |
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Letters 1939-1941 |
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Zelda Becker letter, London, England from A.B. Neumann, Budapest, Hungary. 1939 November 29 |
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Zelda Beker letter, no address, from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland. 1940 April 16 |
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Letter from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, no addressee 1940 July |
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Letter from Glowno, Poland. Addressee and author unknown. 1940 September 22 |
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S. Kaufman letter, Laurelton, New York from L. Kaufman, Warsaw, Poland. 1941 January 8 |
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Zelda Becker letter from J. Danziger, Korsniewiece, Poland. 1941 March 10 |
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Letter, addressee, author and location unknown. 1941 July 10 |
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Telegram 1940-03-13 |
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Zelda Beker telgram, London, England from Neumann. 1940 March 13 |
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Becker family Receipts 1940-1941 | ||||
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Zelda Beker Foregin Food Parcel Service receipts, Laurelton, New York to Abraham Beker, Warsaw, Poland and Jozef Dancygier, Krosniewice, Poland. 1940 November 15 |
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Mrs. S.D. Blutter Foreign Food Parcel Service receipt, Springfield Gardens, New York to Sztojme Grinbaum, Kutno, Poland. 1940 November 15 |
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Return Receipt from U.S. Postal Service for registered letter. 1940 October 15 |
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Return Receipt from US Postal Service for registered letter. 1941 January 7 |
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