Braun Family Collection, Nuremberg

The Braun Family Collection, Nuremberg holds papers from branches of the extended Braun family. In addition to the Brauns, it holds papers of members of the Bernhard, Busse, and Orfali families. Much of the material focuses on the family of Arthur and Martha Braun and their children. The collection includes a variety of materials such as diaries, household budget books, account books, lists, travel diaries, poetry, correspondence, family trees, family members' writing and compiled works, sketchbooks and a few official papers. The collection has retained its original order, with additions remaining as series of addenda. Several items in the collection do not include identification of the family members who created them. Stephanie (née Braun) Orfali's family trees, in Series II, are particularly useful in understanding the collection.

Arthur and Martha (née Bernhard) Braun are among the most prominent individuals featured in this collection. In Series I are their travel journals, which detail trips taken with their children. In addition, this series holds several household books which record daily expenditures of a family in Nuremberg and later Jerusalem. Although there is no clear indication to whom the books belonged it seems probable that they may have belonged to Arthur and Martha. This series also holds a diary of Martha's as a student, as well as one by her sister. Series III holds a small amount of correspondence of Martha Braun from a friend. Papers of their daughter, Stephanie Orfali, are also prevalent. In addition to the family trees she prepared in Series II, Series V holds copies of correspondence sent to her by former schoolmates, documenting their lives since leaving Nuremberg as well as papers of her brother Wolfgang. His items include memoirs, correspondence and some poetry.

Papers of the Bernhard family are also located in various areas of the collection. Series III primarily consists of papers of Ada Bernhard. These include her diary, poetry and some correspondence from a close friend. In Series IV are the very detailed diaries of Toni Bernhard, documenting extensively four years of her life. Some correspondence of her sister Gerda are also present in this series. Other materials in this series, such as a sketchbook and a student diary, are by unidentified family members.