Edith Burian Family Collection

Anna Perlmann (October 12th, 1887-April 23rd, 1972) was born in Georgenburg (today Jurbarkas, Lithuania). She studied pharmacy in Koenigsberg (today Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ, Russia). In 1914, she returned to Germany to study medicine at the Albertus University in Koenigsberg and graduated in 1921. Over the following years, she worked in several medical institutions in Berlin and Breslau (today Wrocław, Poland). She emigrated to Palestine in 1934. There she worked for the Social Service Department and the Health Committee of the Jewish Community Jerusalem before starting as a medical officer at the British Prison for Women in Bethlehem in 1945.

Edith “Dita” (Nomi) Helga Burian (née Muenz, February 19th, 1924-March 28th, 2017) was born in Vienna, Austria, and grew up in Gmuend, Austria. After the imprisonment of her father, Edith, her sister Gertrude (later Sokolski), and her mother were ordered to leave the town and they moved to Vienna in 1938. Edith joined the Shomer Hatzairair, became involved with the Youth Aliyah Movement, and left Austria with the group in 1939. In Palestine, she stayed in the Kibbutz Sha’ar HaAmakim for two years before she started training as a pediatric nurse in Jerusalem. Anna Perlmann met her through the Social Service Department of the city and helped her during that time. They had a close relationship, Edith described herself as an adopted daughter of Anna.

Edith married Kurt Burian (born February 20th, 1922) in Haifa in May 1945. Together they returned to Austria before immigrating to the U.S. in 1950. Edith and her husband looked after many elderly people who immigrated to the U.S. and handled their estates in some cases. These seniors were often known as aunts or uncles in Edith’s and Kurt’s family, without being relatives.

Nelly Klein (née Spielmann, born March 31st, 1913) was born in Vienna, Austria. In 1935, Nelly and her family emigrated to Palestine. In 1939, she married the engineer Konrad Klein (born March 3rd, 1908) with whom she moved to his hometown Czernowitz (today in Ukraine). After the end of the war, they were sent back to Austria and emigrated to Israel again. They later moved to New York.

Mathilda (née Grossbauch, January 16th, 1912-October 27th, 2004) and Arnold Alter (October 5th, 1916-September 14th, 1989) were both born in Austria and emigrated to Palestine. Arnold joined the Union of Musicians in Palestine in 1941 and gave concerts with a band. They later immigrated to the U.S. where they changed their last name to Allen, and Arnold became Stanley. He was distantly related to the family of Edith Burian, and after his death, Kurt Burian took care of Mathilde Allen in a nursing home.