Gruen-Gruenebaum Family Collection

The Gruen-Gruenebaum Family Collection documents the experiences of family members during the 1930s and 1940s as well as provides some information on the community of Altenkirchen, Germany. The bulk of the collection consists of personal correspondence sent to Walter Gruen (previously Grünebaum). Other material consists of drafts of essays on genealogy and official documents of family members.

Most of the collection consists of letters of family members and friends sent to Walter and Elsbet Gruen, especially during the late 1930s and 1940s, when most family members were attempting to leave Germany. This correspondence will be found in Series I. The most prolific correspondents were family members, especially Walter Gruen's mother, Johanna Grünebaum, Elsbet's parents Moses and Klementine Bronne, and members of the Tobias, Ansbacher, and Philipson families. Many letters discuss family members' immigration preparations, including their efforts to receive visas and the accumulation of paperwork to that end. Others, such as the Ansbachers' letters, discuss preparations for living in the United States. The fates of family members during the 1940s, including deportations of members of the Bronne and Tobias families, can be found in later letters of family members. In addition, the death of Johanna Grünebaum in autumn 1941 is also mentioned in the letters.

Information on the town of Altenkirchen will also be found in several letters of Series I. Some letters from friends describe the bombing of Altenkirchen in 1945 and the deaths or deportations of some residents. Letters from Altenkirchen from the late 1940s provide some clues on the postwar state of the town.

Some information on the genealogy of Jews from Altenkirchen will be found in both series. In Series I, one folder holds letters with detailed genealogical queries for the Altenkirchen Jewish Community that include some information on the interested families. In Series II are two essays by Walter Gruen on the genealogy of his family. Series II also contains an assortment of official documents. These include birth, marriage, and legal certificates for members of the Grünebaum and Bronne families, but also a few documents of earlier family members.