Lore Baum Steinitz Collection

The Lore Baum Steinitz Collection documents to a large extent the work of the Wirtschaftliche Frauenschule auf dem Lande in Wolfratshausen as well as the lives of its former students. A smaller focus of this collection is on the highlights of the lives of members of the extended Steinitz and Baum families. The collection contains a profusion of material on the Frauenschule, including correspondence, questionnaires, research notes, copies of official papers and the article that formed the research's conclusion.

Series I comprises Lore Steinitz's extensive research and especially its correspondence on the history of the Frauenschule. As well as documenting the role of the school as a training center for young Jewish women in domestic and agricultural work, it also clearly displays the steps Steinitz took in conducting her research. In the end she received responses from some sixty former students, five teachers and a former director of the school, all of which combine to provide a significant narrative on the work of the school as seen from numerous points of view. Letters of teachers and Hannah Bodenheimer, former director of the school, provide further background on the school, its founding in 1926, influx of students during the 1930s and sudden closing in 1938. Letters from students mention the usefulness of the school to them, their memories of their courses and other students there. The letters also document the many lifelong friendships that were begun at the school. In addition to the letters Series I also holds some copies of official documentation for the school as well as a few publications, including varying versions of the school handbook, with an overview of the school's mission and courses.

Material relating to the Steinitz and Baum families constitute Series II. Included in this series are several brief biographical sketches and anecdotes of various members of the Steinitz and Baum families written by Lore Steinitz. Included among them is her own emigration story. Sketches of members of the Steinitz family include a few brief family trees. Other material in this series features her ancestor Valentin Wolff, some information on a Sinauer ancestor featured in a radio drama, and a few sketches on family friends.