Records of the Association of Jewish Deaf-Mutes in Poland
Scope and Content Note
The collection predominantly contains correspondence between the Association of Jewish Deaf-Mutes’ Central Committee in Krakow and its branches in Warsaw, Łódź, Vilna, and Lublin. The language of the letters and other documents, including minutes of meetings, reports, financial records, and bulletins, is mainly Polish, although a substantial number of records are in German and a few are in Yiddish and Russian. Topics include organizational matters of the association, the economic situation of deaf-mutes, special education, and contacts with Jewish deaf-mute societies in other countries. There is also a file from an earlier period of correspondence relating to the school “Mesiakh Ilmim” for deaf-mute children in the Wilno province, dating from 1912-1913.
Dates
- 1912-1913, 1928-1937
Language of Materials
The collection is in Polish and German, with some Russian and Yiddish.
Access Restrictions
The collection has been digitized and is available online without restrictions. The physical collection is closed.
Use Restrictions
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Historical Note
The first attempt to organize the deaf-mute population in Poland took place in 1916 in Warsaw, with the founding of the Deaf-Mute Society “Spójnia” (The Union). Other local deaf-mute societies followed in Krakow and Lwów. In 1930, industrialist Bogumil Liban founded “Związek Żydowskich Głuchoniemych” (Association of Jewish Deaf-Mutes in Poland), with its seat in Krakow. More local branches were established in Łódź, Vilna and Białystok. In 1936, the Association was renamed “Ogolny Związek Żydowskich Głuchoniemych oraz Towarzystw Sportowych” (General Association of Jewish Deaf-Mute Societies and Sports Clubs). In the interwar period, the number of deaf-mute Jews in Poland was estimated at 4,000, of which 400 were members of the Association of Jewish Deaf-Mutes in Poland.
The association endeavored to meet the needs of its members by trying to secure material aid for the needy, promoting special education, organizing cultural events, and popularizing sports competitions. Annual congresses served as an important forum for contacts. The association maintained close ties to the Weltbund der jüdischen Gehörlosen (World Union of Jewish Deaf-Mutes), whose seat was in Berlin. The Association was active until the outbreak of the war in 1939.
Extent
0.625 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Association of Jewish Deaf-Mutes in Poland was founded in 1930 in Krakow, through the efforts of Bogumil Liban, as a union of local deaf-mute societies and sports clubs. It was active until the outbreak of war in 1939. This collection contains correspondence and other administrative records of the association.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in one series.
Acquisition Information
The materials in this collection were originally part of the collections of YIVO in Vilna. They were found among the materials from the Offenbach archival depot, which were retrieved by the YIVO Archives in New York in 1947.
Processing information
Originally processed by Marek Web in 2009. Additional processing and encoding was completed in 2013.
- Title
- Guide to the Records of the Association of Jewish Deaf-Mutes in Poland, 1912-1913, 1928-1937
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Marek Web
- Date
- ©2013
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Sponsor
- with the assistance of a grant from the Gruss Lipper Family Foundation in 2009. Additional processing by Rachel S. Harrison in 2013. Described and encoded as part of the CJH Holocaust Resource Initiative, made possible by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany. Conserved and digitized as part of the Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Online Collections project (2015-2022).
Repository Details
Part of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research Repository
