Skip to main content

Lena Gitter Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AR 10851

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists primarily of published materials - clippings and off-prints - by and about Lena Lieba Gitter. These include among others Lena Gitter, Montessori for the under-achieving child in: “Montessori for American children”, American Montessori society seminar, 1963, in folder 2; and some of her contributions to the journal of special education in folder 4.

Copies of her educational certificates, 1920-1938, and of the 1997 certificate for the medal of merit from the Republic of Austria may be found in folder 3, which also holds copied photographs and correspondence, as well as clippings and photocopies pertaining to her husband, the physician Richard Gitter. Copies of Lena Gitter’s photographs and of her 1938 passport may be found in folder 5.

Dates

  • 1920-2000

Creator

Language of Materials

This collection is in German and English.

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

Lena Gitter was born 1905 as Lina Lieba Rosenblatt in Vienna, Austria, where she became a high ranking Montessori pedagogue and founded one of Vienna’s first Montessori schools. She immigrated to the United States in 1938, where she continued her work as a Montessori educator and also worked as a human rights activist, campaigning for Charles Evers, who became the first black mayor in Mississippi in the 1960s. As a Montessori consultant she lectured all over the United States and authored numerous articles and books. In 1997 she was honored by the president of the Republic of Austria with its medal of merits (Goldenes Verdienstzeichen).

Extent

5 Folders

Abstract

The collection consists primarily of published materials by and about Lena Lieba Gitter. Also included are copies of her educational certificates as well as some copied photographs and correspondence.

Separated Material

Lena Gitter’s questionnaire from the Austrian Heritage Collection is held in folder 1 of the paper collection, which also has an additional folder 6 with more clippings.

Processing Information

During microfilming and consequent digitization the original order of the collection has been disrupted.

Title
Inventory of the Lena Gitter Collection, 1920-2000 AR 10851
Status
Completed
Date
© 2009
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
The inventory is in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository

Contact:
15 West 16th Street
New York NY 10011 United States