Willy Nordwind Collection
Scope and Content Note
The Willy Nordwind Collection is a real life testimony to humanity amidst hatred and destruction. Willy Nordwind and the Boston Committee for Refugees were able to save many German Jews from the Nazi regime by bringing them to the United States.
The collection documents Willy Nordwind’s attempts to bring as many German Jews as possible out of Germany before World War II.
Included here is correspondence with those who just came or those whom Willy Nordwind was still trying to bring over.
In many cases correspondence is accompanied by additional materials such as immigration, financial, and professional documents, photographs, CVs.
In addition to correspondence with émigrés there is also Willy Nordwind’s correspondence with other individuals and companies trying to find jobs for the newly arrived.
Also included in the collection is a very small portion of personal materials of Willy and Eleanor Nordwind, such as correspondence, documents, and photographs.
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1938-1939
- 1921-1980s
Language of Materials
The collection is in German and English.
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers.
Access Information
Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.
Biographical Note
Willy Nordwind was born in Germany in 1901. His family moved to the United States and settled in the Boston area.
In the late 1930s Willy was very active in trying to bring German Jews to the United States. He was one of the founders of the Boston Committee for Refugees.
Willy Nordwind died in 1964.
Extent
0.8 Linear Feet
Abstract
The collection documents Willy Nordwind’s efforts to bring as many German Jews as possible out of Germany before World War II. Included here is correspondence with those who had arrived or those whom Willy Nordwind was still trying to bring over.
Arrangement
The collection consists of two series:
Separated Material
Books were removed to the LBI Library.
- Title
- Guide to the Willy Nordwind Collection (1901-1964) 1921-1980s bulk 1938-1939 AR 10551
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Yakov Illich Sklar
- Date
- © 2011
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Sponsor
- as part of the Leon Levy Archival Processing Initiative, made possible by the Leon Levy Foundation
Revision Statements
- November 26, 2013 : Links to digital objects added in Container List.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository
