Hedwig Geng Collection

This collection consists of the papers of Hedwig Geng née Berg from her time as a forced laborer in Munich (1939-1942), her incarceration in Theresienstadt (1943-1945), and her eventual liberation. The bulk of the collection consists of personal correspondence with relatives living in England and with Luise Geng, Hedwig’s daughter who immigrated to the United States in 1940. Other correspondence includes letters by Hedwig Geng to Margarete Mühsam of the Leo Baeck Institute regarding her experiences.

Also included in the collection are several pieces of ephemera from Theresienstadt, such as money, identification cards, health cards, bathing passes, notes, a book of edible plants, and a journal containing addresses and recipes. A yellow star, armbands from Theresienstadt, and a small cloth bag Hedwig Geng sewed for herself for use in Theresienstadt are also included. A few decrees and notes from the liberation of Theresienstadt can be found in the collection, as well as several poems written by inmates. A few photographs of Hedwig Geng, a young fellow inmate of hers, and Hedwig’s later family in the U.S. are also included. A few clippings and notes regarding restitution and Eichmann can also be found, as well as an inventory of the entire collection listing each item. Many of the items in the collection are accompanied by handwritten explanatory notes from Hedwig Geng.