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Edith (Lichtenstein) Freese Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AR 25676

Scope and Content Note

The collection provides insight into the childhood of Edith (Lichtenstein) Freese prior to World War II and her later life after having escaped to the United States.

Contained in folder 1/1 is correspondence from 2000 to 2016. This folder comprises a set of greeting cards from Edith’s friends, including Erna Böhm of Bremen, Germany, to her and a letter written by Jeffrey A. Greene. Of particular note is the inclusion of a letter to the editor written by Jeffrey Greene to Vanderbilt magazine about his childhood, because it is the only item in the collection that provides concrete information about Edith's life in the United States. A friendship book from Edith's childhood dating from 1930 through 1940 is contained in folder 1/2.

A Herz family tree beginning with the patriarch, Samuel Herz, who lived in the 1700s, was created by Edith in the 1990s and is stored in an oversized folder.

The photographs contained in folder 1/3 are taken from a family album dating possibly from the 1910s through 1949 that also included newspaper clippings of death notices from 1956-1974 to identity some family members. The photographs are most likely of Edith’s childhood, featuring her younger brother and her parents. Many of the photographs are unidentified. Family members identified in the photographs include Elisabeth (Ella) Herz, Herman Herz, Martha Herz, and Edith’s aunt, Dina. This folder also contains a 1915 postcard and cake recipes sent to Edith by her aunt, Emma. Finally, photographs of Johanna (Herz) Lichtenstein’s grave in Steinheim am Main can be found in this folder. The loose photographs contained in folder 1/4 feature a vacation, possibly to Toronto, Canada, in July 1995. This folder also includes two postcards written to Edith by her friends. A history of Steinheim am Main, Edith's birthplace, completes this collection.

Dates

  • 1910s-2016

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

Edith (Lichtenstein) Freese was born on September 23, 1920 in Steinheim am Main, Germany to Julius Lichtenstein and Johanna Lichtenstein, née Herz. Edith's father and her brother, Herbert were killed by the Nazis in Belgium in 1939. Edith was able to escape to England before immigrating to the United States, circa 1949. She was married three times: once in England and twice in the United States. With her husband, Fred Greene, Edith had one son, Jeffrey A. Greene, who was raised in New Rochelle, New York. Edith died in Coconut Creek, Florida, on December 26, 2015.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet

Abstract

The collection is comprised of correspondence, a friendship book, a family tree, and family photographs, which pertain to the life of Edith (Lichtenstein) Freese.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in one series alphabetically.

Related Material

The Edith (Lichtenstein) Freese Collection’s Herz family tree features Friedrich (Fred) Herz. The LBI Archives also include the Fred Herz Family Collection (AR 25324).

Processing Information

Family photos and newspaper clippings have been removed from an album due to preservation concerns and can now be found in folder 3.

Title
Guide to the Edith (Lichtenstein) Freese Collection 1910s–2016 AR 25676
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Madeleine Ostertag
Date
© 2016
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.
Edition statement
This version was derived from EdithLichtensteinFreese.xml

Revision Statements

  • January 2017: dao links added by Emily Andresini.

Repository Details

Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository

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