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Grossmann Family Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AR 25491

Scope and Content Note

The Grossmann Family Collection documents the lives of several members of the Grossmann Family, especially focusing on Erika Busse Grossman and her husband Hans Grossmann. The collection includes personal and official papers, papers pertaining to Hans Grossmann's legal practice, a handful of articles and a family tree.

Papers that relate to several family members are located in Series I. Included is a folder with official and educational papers of Erika Busse Grossmann, including translations of such papers into French and Persian for use in her immigation to Iran. Her restitution documentation is also included here. This series also holds some articles written by Walter Grossmann, a family tree, and some material relating to family friends.

Both series of this collection hold papers that pertain to Hans Grossmann's legal practice. Series I includes two ledgers that record business funds, while Series II holds a number of client files. Such files document his work in securing restitution for his clients and consists of extensive restitution correspondence along with its accompanying papers, including numerous wills and testaments.

Dates

  • 1924-1998
  • Majority of material found within 1950-1975

Language of Materials

The collection is in German, English, Persian and French.

Access Restrictions

Open to researchers.

Access Information

Readers may access the collection by visiting the Lillian Goldman Reading Room at the Center for Jewish History. We recommend reserving the collection in advance; please visit the LBI Online Catalog and click on the "Reserve" button.

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

Erika Busse was born October 20, 1911. She attended various schools in Bavaria and Berlin. In 1929 she began studies at the Kaufmannische Privatschule. While working for one of Berlin's largest pharmacies she studied for her Abitur, and in 1931 began university studies in pharmacy. In 1933 she passed her first pharmacist exam but was forced to leave the university. At this point she became interested in immigrating to Iran and took classes in Persian. In 1935 she left for Tehran, where she would live for the next ten years. Due to the prevailing conditions in the country she could only find work as a secretary during this time. At some point while living in Iran she met the lawyer Hans Grossmann.

Hans S. Grossmann was born August 26, 1902, the second son of Eugen and Gertrud (née Duritz) Grossmann. He studied law and received his doctoral degree in Leipzig in 1924. In 1947 the couple married and went on to have one daughter. By the 1950s they had immigrated to the United States, where they settled in New York City.

Extent

1 Linear Feet

Abstract

The Grossman Family Collection holds papers on several members of the family, most prominently Erika Busse Grossmann and Hans Grossmann, but also includes articles by Walter Grossmann and a family tree. Included are Erika Busse Grossmann's official, educational and restitution papers and documentation of Hans Grossmann's legal practice.

Related Material

Some material by Walter Grossmann is available elsewhere in the LBI's holdings, including two memoirs in the Library ( Farewell to Austria and Abschied von Oesterreich ). The LBI Archives also hold the Walter Grossmann Collection (AR 6349).

Processing Information

The collection was originally located in two locations. During the processing of the collection in 2012, addenda was integrated into the original collection, resulting in the formation of two series, arrangement was imposed upon the collection. Most of the files of Series II were loosely organized alphabetically by surname; this order was then used for the remainder of the folders in the series.

Title
Guide to the Papers of the Grossmann Family 1924-1998 AR 25491
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Dianne Ritchey and LBI Staff
Date
© 2012
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.
Edition statement
This version was derived from GrossmannFamily.xml

Repository Details

Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository

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