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Gruen-Gruenebaum Family Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AR 25588

Scope and Content Note

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.

Dates

  • 1814-1979
  • Majority of material found within 1938-1941

Creator

Language of Materials

The collection is primarily in German, with a small amount of English.

Access Restrictions

Open to researchers.

Access Information

Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.

Use Restrictions

There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:

Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011

email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org

Biographical Note

Walter Grünebaum was born in 1901 in Altenkirchen, Germany, the son of Julius and Johanna (née Levy) Grünebaum. Julius Grünebaum had a store in Altenkirchen, Kaufhaus Grünebaum. Walter Grünebaum married Elsbet (also spelled Elsbeth or Elisabeth) Bronne, the daughter of Moses and Klementine Bronne of Alzey, Germany, on November 9, 1930. Walter and Elsbet had one son, Klaus (later Claude). In 1938 the family immigrated to the United States, where they settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. After their immigration they changed their surname to Gruen.

Walter Gruen died in Ohio in 1976, Elsbeth Gruen in 2004.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet

Abstract

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.

Related Material

Related is the memoir by Walter Grünebaum, "Im Angedenken an meine Ahnen 1746-1917" (ME 209).

The LBI Library also includes the book Jüdisch-deutsche Mitbürger unserer Heimat by Günter Heuzeroth, which mentions the Grünebaum family (DS 135 G4 A585 H4). An unpublished manuscript by Günter Heuzeroth is also part of the LBI Archives: "Juedisch-deutsche Buerger unserer Heimat 1600-1938" (ME 293).

Processing Information

Prior to processing the collection was in two overfilled folders, with no original order observed. During the processing of the collection, the materials were further divided by type of papers, forming the two series. Series I was then further divided by correspondent, separating out the most prolific correspondents, with letters of less prolific correspondents placed in folders alphabetically by surname, and those without surnames placed in their own folder.

Title
Guide to the Papers of the Gruen-Gruenebaum Family 1814-1979 AR 25588
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Dianne Ritchey
Date
© 2014
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.
Edition statement
This version was derived from Gruen-GruenebaumFamily.xml

Revision Statements

  • March 2015:: Links to digital objects added in Container List.

Repository Details

Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository

Contact:
15 West 16th Street
New York NY 10011 United States