Margot Malachowski Wertheimer Collection
Scope and Content Note
The Margot Malachowski Wertheimer Collection documents the lives and memorable events of members of the Malachowski and Wertheimer families. The collection centers around the family photographs, but also includes material on family weddings, a small amount of correspondence, obituaries and financial and restitution correspondence.
The bulk of papers in this collection focuses on family members' lives in Germany. The many photographs of Series II are an important part of this documentation. Although few photographs are labeled, the central individuals of this collection – Max and Johanna Malachowski, their daughter Margot and her husband Hans Wertheimer – are frequently featured.
Further material on family members is located in Series I, which is arranged in three subseries. Subseries 1 holds the papers of Max and Johanna Malachowski. Several folders of this subseries focus on their marriage, including an album of wedding telegrams, a wedding newspaper and texts of Festlieder (celebratory songs) presented at the wedding reception. Other papers of theirs include a number of obituaries for Max Malachowski accompanied by a few for Johanna Malachowski and her mother Frieda Lichtenauer. Furthermore there are two folders of personal correspondence between Max Malachowski and his wife. Subseries 2 also concerns itself with a marriage, the union of Margot Malachowski and Hans Wertheimer, including two folders of congratulations from friends and family on the event. This subseries additionally holds a small amount of correspondence of the couple and a few papers relating to their professions such as certificates and business cards. Subseries 3 constitutes papers of unidentified family members.
More information on the Malachowski and Wertheimer family members' lives in Germany may be found through perusal of the copious restitution correspondence of Series III. Such correspondence, especially focuses on Hans (Harold) Wertheimer's efforts to receive restitution from Germany for his losses. He pursued restitution for the disruption to his profession due to his emigration from Germany as well as the effects upon his health from his incarceration in Dachau. Since the family was required to leave Germany soon after his release from the camp, Johanna Malachowski lost the opportunity to sell her own possessions prior to emigration; her loss of this property is documented in the correspondence, for which she sought restitution.
Dates
- 1903-1995
Creator
- Wertheimer, Margot Malachowski (Person)
Language of Materials
The collection is in German, English, and Hebrew.
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
Margot Malachowski was the daughter of Max Malachowski and his wife Johanna Malachowski née Lichtenauer. Max Malachowski was head of the Karlsruhe branch of the Hermann Tietz department store until his death in 1930. In 1935 Margot Malachowski married Hans Wertheimer. The couple immigrated to the United States along with Johanna Malachowski following Hans Wertheimer's release from the Dachau concentration camp. After their immigration Hans Wertheimer changed his first name to Harold. In the U.S. he worked as an insurance broker while Margot Wertheimer worked as a masseuse. They had one son, Milton J. Wertheimer.
Extent
3 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection portrays the significant life events of members of the related Malachowski and Wertheimer families. The bulk of the collection consists of family photographs. Other materials include wedding documentation, restitution and financial correspondence, and a smaller amount of personal correspondence, personal and professional papers of family members.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in three series in the following manner:
- Series I: Family Papers, 1903-1995
- Subseries 1: Max and Johanna (née Lichtenauer) Malachowski, 1904-1976
- Subseries 2: Hans and Margot (née Malachowski) Wertheimer, 1903-1995
- Subseries 3: Other Family Members, undated, 1928-1956
- Series II: Photographs, undated, 1912-1947
- Series III: Restitution and Financial Correspondence, 1926-1980
Separated Material
A painted portrait of Max Malachowski has been transferred to the LBI Art and Objects Collection.
Processing Information
The collection was processed in 2011 in preparation of the EAD finding aid. Similar materials were gathered together to form series and description was added. Unidentified photographs were also sorted at this time.
- Albums (books)
- Business cards
- Card photographs (photographs)
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- Jewish families
- Karlsruhe (Germany)
- Malachowski, Johanna, 1884-1976
- Malachowski, Max, 1878-1930
- Negatives (photographs)
- Notes (documents)
- Photographs
- Restitution
- Slides (photographs)
- Wertheimer, Hans
- Wertheimer, Margot Malachowski
- Title
- Guide to the Papers of Margot Malachowski Wertheimer 1903-1995 AR 25408
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Dianne Ritchey
- Date
- © 2011
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Edition statement
- This version was derived from MargotWertheimer.xml
Revision Statements
- April 23, 2013 : Links to digital objects added in Container List.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository