Leo Glueckselig Collection
Scope and Content Note
The Leo Glueckselig Collection includes materials pertaining to Leo Glueckselig and other members of the Glueckselig family and consists mostly of personal correspondence, photographs, and documents, whereas other document types such as printed materials, manuscripts, art works, and a cookbook constitute a smaller part of the collection.
TThe bulk of the correspondence consists of two large segments - correspondence between Leo Glueckselig and his parents, Max and Paulina Glueckselig, and correspondence between Leo Glueckselig and his wife, Ita Glueckselig, née Goldberg.
Correspondence between Leo and his parents is very extensive and was generated mostly between 1942 and 1945, i.e. during Leo Glueckselig’s military service in the United States army. Surprisingly, most of the correspondence is conducted in English.
The earliest correspondence between Leo and Ita Glueckselig dates back to the pre-war period. There is no correspondence generated during WWII, since Leo immigrated to the United States while Ita remained in Europe. Their correspondence resumed in 1945.
Some of the post-war correspondence is addressed to Janina Sklaska, the name used by Ita Glueckselig during the war. In addition to discussing private issues, Leo and Ita discussed the problem of bringing Ita from Europe to New York, where they finally reunited in 1946.
As a matter of fact, the entire Glueckselig family was involved in bringing Ita to the States, issuing AffItavits of Support, and writing countless letters to various governmental agencies. Documents related to these issues are found in Series II: Various and include AffItavits of Support and other financial documents, and legal and court documents.
Other correspondence includes correspondence with friends and other family members, small amount of correspondence regarding Leo Glueckselig’s pension from the Austrian government and some professional correspondence of Max Glueckselig and Leo Glueckselig.
Other materials include educational, immigration, military, and vital documents, as well as examples of Leo Glueckselig’s art works and works by other artists, most notably László Mutulay, and large amounts of personal photographs.
Dates
- 1900s-2003
Creator
- Glückselig, Leo, 1914- (Person)
Language of Materials
The collection is in German and English, with some Russian and Polish.
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers.
Access Information
Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.
Readers may access the collection by visiting the Lillian Goldman Reading Room at the Center for Jewish History. We recommend reserving the collection in advance; please visit the LBI Online Catalog and click on the "Request" button.
Biographical Note
Leo Glueckselig was born in Vienna in 1914. He studied architecture and worked as an interior designer. He left Austria with his family in 1938 and immigrated to New York, where he worked as a graphic designer and illustrator. He was part of the Oskar-Maria-Graf Stammtisch. Since 1999 his artwork has been exhibited in Vienna, Salzburg, New York, Washington, and Graz. He died in New York in 2003. His brother was the poet Friedrich Berghammer.
Extent
4 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Leo Glueckselig Collection includes materials pertaining to Leo Glueckselig and other members of the Glueckselig family and consists mostly of personal correspondence, photographs, and documents, whereas other document types such as printed materials, manuscripts, art works, and a cookbook constitute a smaller part of the collection.
Arrangement
The collectionis divided into three series:
Microfilm
This collection is on six reels of microfilm (MF 1090):
- Reel 1: 1/1A - 1/9
- Reel 2: 1/10 - 1/16
- Reel 3: 1/16B - 1/18B
- Reel 4: 1/19A - 2/20
- Reel 5: 2/21 - 3/14
- Reel 6: 3/15 - 4/11
Separated Material
Books have been removed to the LBI Library.
- Bergammer, Friedrich, 1909-1981
- Correspondence
- Emigration and immigration
- Germany
- Glueckselig family
- Glückselig, Leo, 1914-
- Hungary
- Jewish artists
- Jewish soldiers
- Jews -- Germany
- Manuscripts (documents)
- Matulay, Laszlo
- Official documents
- Photographs
- Printed materials
- Stammtisch (New York, N.Y.)
- United States
- Works of art
- Title
- Guide to the Papers of Leo Glueckselig 1900s-2003 AR 25193 / MF 1090
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Yakov Illich Sklar
- Date
- © 2009
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
Revision Statements
- July 2010.: Link to Friedrich Bergammer Collection added.
- February 2011.: Microfilm inventory added.
- February 28, 2012 : Links to digital objects added in Container List.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository