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Grete Rothschild Finkelstein Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AR 25073

Scope and Content Note

The Grete Rothschild Finkelstein Collection comprehends mainly correspondence among members of the Rothschild family in Grünsfeld (Germany), Israel, Paraguay, New York, and Shanghai during World War II. The collection contains correspondence from friends in Grünsfeld after 1945. In addition it includes genealogical information, photographs and miscellaneous documents.

The first folder of the Grete Rothschild Finkelstein collection contains summaries or partial translations of the letters in this collection. Those were written by John and Eva Englaender.

Folder two of this series contains a list of family members (2003?). The third folder comprehends personal miscellaneous documents like copied photographs, an engagement announcement (1929), a document drawn by the Department of Labor (1938), a note, and a clipping about the 50th anniversary meeting of the class of 1906/07 in Grünsfeld.

The following folders contain correspondence. The fourth folder includes letters from Irma Baer (née Rothschild) and her mother Rosa in Germany to her sister Rita and her husband Martin Loewenberg as well as other relatives in New York (1939-1941). Folder five comprehends three letters written by Ludwig Baer to his family in the United States (1940). He reported about the situation in Shanghai and about his problems with health and money. The sixth folder contains letters from Emil Rothschild in Tel Aviv (1940-1941) to his sister Rita in New York, his mother Rosa and to other family members. Folder seven includes letters from Max and Clara Rothschild from Paraguay (1940-1941) to Rita and Martin in the United States as well as to mother Rosa in Gurs. Folder eight deals with postwar correspondence and is mostly written by former friends from Grünsfeld.

Folder nine comprehends various letters from family members and others (partially undated, 1936-1949). The tenth folder includes an undated letter written by Bruno and Esther Rothschild from Israel to the family in Germany. This is the only letter from these particular writers, also making reference to Bruno's sister Elly (Illy) and family, who are also in Israel.

Dates

  • 1929-2003
  • Majority of material found within 1939-1954

Creator

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.

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

The Rothschild family lived in Grünsfeld, Baden Württemberg. Grete Rothschild Finkelstein’s paternal grandparents were Siegfried (Simon), probably born in 1870 in Grünsfeld, and Rosa Rothschild née Bierig. The Rothschilds of Grünsfeld were merchants. Rosa and Siegfried Rothschild had eight children: The oldest daughter Irma, born April 3, 1903 was married to Ludwig Baer; they had a son named Walter. The second child of Simon and Rosa Rothschild Bruno, born April 18, 1904, emigrated to Palestine in 1933 (Kibbutz Givath Brenner). Another son, Max, born June 18, 1905, went to Paraguay in 1936 and immigrated to the United States in 1948; Max was Grete Rothschild Finkelstein's father. The fourth child of Siegfried and Rosa Rothschild was Rita, born October 10, 1906, who immigrated to the United States. The other children were Emile (born Sep. 3, 1909), Elly (born June 27, 1911), Justin (born Aug. 13, 1915) and Klementine (born July 10, 1917); all of them left Germany to live in Tel Aviv, Israel. Simon and Rosa Rothschild had one child named Ernst (born March 14, 1908) who died shortly after his birth.

Rosa Rothschild perished in Gurs, France, in January 1941. Irma and Walter Baer died in Auschwitz; Ludwig Baer survived in Shanghai.

Grete Rothschild Finkelstein's older sister Karola was born in Paraguay in 1938.

Another branch of the family were the children of Samson and Rosa Rothschild, née Eichtersheimer: Rosa (born June 22, 1906), Bertold (born Feb. 24, 1908), Arthur (born Sep. 30, 1914), and Karoline (born Aug. 6, 1916).

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet

Abstract

This collection contains mainly correspondence among members of the Rothschild family in Grünsfeld (Germany), Israel, Paraguay, New York, and Shanghai during World War II.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in one series.

Processing Information

The collection was originally processed by John and Eva Englander. It was reprocessed in July 2012 at which time the folder order was changed.

Title
Guide to the Papers of Grete Rothschild Finkelstein 1929-2003 AR 25073
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Juliane Radig 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 GreteRothschildFinkelstein.xml

Revision Statements

  • June 06, 2013 : 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