Pinkus Fränkel Ehrlich Genealogy Research Collection

The Pinkus Fränkel Ehrlich genealogy research collection focuses on the genealogical research of Elizabeth Brody and John Peters of the related Ehrlich, Fränkel, and Pinkus families. The collection primarily contains correspondence; as well as: genealogical notes, family trees, photographs, a small travel diary, and papers relating to Elizabeth Brody's trip to Europe in 2010.

The first folder consists of correspondence between Elizabeth Brody and John Peters. The letters eventually evolve into email correspondence after 2002. The exchange between the two begins with John's letter of introduction sent in 1989. From there, the two try, within the context of the letters, to link their family relation and construct a family tree, using Paul Ehrlich as a starting point. Aside from trying to create an extensive family tree, the correspondence between the two is primarily a casual conversation about their personal lives and families. Some letters mention enclosed family trees, however all genealogical notes are found in Folder 3, as originally organized by the donor.

Parallel to her correspondence with John Peters, Elizabeth Brody connected with other people to trace the family history of the Pinkus, Fränkel, and Ehrlich families. Letters between Elizabeth and these individuals can be found in Folder 2. They include: Stephen and Jo Fraenkel; Anthony Peters; Helen Hoffman; Dr. Robert Horning; and Walter Pinkus. Some letters in the folder have accompanying photos that were included with the original letters in envelopes.

Folder 3 contains documents pertaining to genealogy that have been originally part of the correspondence. The papers have been chronologically arranged, with the exception of undated materials. This folder tracks the progression of Elizabeth's genealogy research that includes the Pinkus, Fränkel, and Ehrlich families. There are a few handwritten notes about family relations based on letters in the correspondence folders. Other documents include family trees and genealogy tables, printed pages from genealogy websites, and a photograph of Marianne Landau (née Ehrlich) and Stefanie Schwerin (née Ehrlich) with unidentified family members. The identification of individuals on the back of the photograph by the donor is incorrect. A similar photograph with Marianne Landau and Stefanie Schwerin can be found in the LBI Archives of the Pinkus Family Collection, AR 7030.

Folders 4 and 5 contain papers and photographs relating to Elizabeth Brody's travels in March 1990, after having gotten in contact with John Peters the year before. There are a few photographs and a small travel diary in Folder 4 from Elizabeth's trip to Germany and Switzerland, where she met John and his partner, Peggy Plinius. The travel diary chronicles the daily itineraries and tasks of the trip with a few notes about money she spent during the trip towards the back of the booklet.

The papers and photos in Folder 5 are from Elizabeth's trip to Europe in 2010, where she visited Upper Silesia and many cities related to her genealogy research. A printed itinerary annotated by Elizabeth in red ink specifically details each city visited on the trip. Photos are arranged in envelopes depending on location and may have original envelopes with notes from the donor about people or places attached. Email correspondence between Elizabeth and various recipients about the trip that were sent subsequent years after the trip can also be found in the folder. There are undated loose-leaf pages at the end of the folder with notes from Elizabeth about arranging and sharing photos taken on the trip.