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Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman Family Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AR 25427

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains information regarding Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman's legal and financial matters. Folder 1 contains legal correspondence and Folder 2 contains financial correspondence.

Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman's legal correspondence concerns her attempt to receive compensation, which she was desperately in need of, for the physical, mental, and property related damages she endured because of the persecution of Jews in the late 1930s. The correspondence with her lawyers, Dr. Erich Petry, Prof. Dr. Friedrich Lehmann, and Dr. B. Moshim, describe the cases. The correspondence also contains legal documents regarding her cases. Prof. Dr. Friedrich Lehmann passed the case regarding compensation for her mother's suicide after imprisonment in a concentration camp to Dr. Erich Petry after a decline in his health. Her second case was fought with another lawyer, Dr. B. Moshim, in an effort to receive compensation for the mental, physical, and property related damages she endured as a result of the Holocaust as well as for the labor her parents performed in a concentration camp. She won both of these cases. Also located in Folder 1 is the correspondence between Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman's aunt, Dr. Tilly Newman, and Prof. Dr. Friedrich Lehmann. The purpose of this correspondence was for Prof. Dr. Friedrich Lehmann to gain information from Dr. Tilly Newman regarding her niece's case.

Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman's financial correspondence regards mainly the transfer of money from her three Germany bank accounts to England. These letters are located in Folder 2, which also contains numerous bank notes.

Dates

  • Creation: 1956-1963

Creator

Language of Materials

The collection is in English and German.

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

Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman was born on the twelfth of December 1922 in Frankfurt am Main to Anna Rosalie Kowalski and Dr. Moscheck Max Kowalski. In 1937 Anna Rosalie Kowalski and Dr. Kowalski were arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in the Frankfurt prison. They were then moved to a concentration camp before being transferred to another. Anna Rosalie Kowalski was released in 1938 and committed suicide two days later. Dr. Tilly Newman then sent Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman to Great Britain to live with her uncle because she was in danger of being arrested by the Gestapo. Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman was deeply affected by this escape and her mother's suicide.

In 1957 Vera Margot Kowalski sought compensation from the government for her losses. She fought with the help of the attorney Dr. B. Moshim for compensation for the damage of her own health, her parents' property, and for the labor her parents performed while in a concentration camp. This case lasted until 1962 when she won her case. During this case, she was also fighting another one with the help of Prof. Dr. Friedrich Lehmann and later Dr. Erich Petry to receive compensation for the suicide of her mother. This case was also won in favor of Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman in 1962, five years after it began.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet

Abstract

The Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman Family Collection contains correspondence on Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman's legal and financial matters.

Arrangement

The collection comprises one series.

Related Material

Max Kowalski Collection MS 755.

Processing Information

The documents in this collection were already mostly in complete chronological order and were divided into the subseries listed above. The documents were not, however, separated based on legal and financial matters.

Title
Guide to the Papers of the Vera Margot Kowalski Soliman Family 1956-1963 AR 25427
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Isabelle Ostertag
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 VeraMargotKowalskiSoliman.xml

Revision Statements

  • June 17, 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