panarchive
  1. Montreal Holocaust Museum
  2. Der Führer zum Erfolg: Maschinenschreiben
  3. Letter
Letter
Montreal Holocaust Museum · small copy hosted here (www.cjhn.ca blocks its images elsewhere)
Full-size image ↗View at source ↗

Letter

1 image

Held by
Montreal Holocaust Museum via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)
Dates
August 25, 1944 (indexed as 1944)
Level
item
Scope & content
Letter creased horizontally and vertically, two holes punched on left edge, American Red cross letterhead. From the American Red Cross to Mr. Siegfried Loeb. Forwarding information regarding an inquiry made in March 1943 at the International Red Cross Committee, Geneva, Switzerland about Helmut Isselbacher, Brussels. Narrative: Isaac Herbert Isselbacher was born 1919-11-20 in Isselbach, Germany. His brother was Helmut Isselbacher, born 1921-12-20. Their father was Jacob Isselbacher, born 1883-08-05. They had an uncle and aunt, David and Betty Loewenstein, who lived in New York City with their two children. Isaac left Germany on 1939-07-29, hoping to join his relatives in NYC. He only had the time to get to London, England before the war broke out and started working in a factory. He was arrested at his workplace as an ‘enemy alien’ and sent to Canada for internment in 1940. Isaac was interned in Camp N in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He was drafted into the Works Program Division for woodworking and net-making. In 1940, he received a last letter from his parents which suggested their imminent deportation. After his release, circa November 1942, Isaac worked as a locksmith. He married Fanny Azeff on 1943-12-26 at the Bnai Jacob synagogue in Montreal. Fanny was born on 1921-12-23 in Canada, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Azeff. Isaac was naturalized as a Canadian citizen on 1946-06-08. Fanny was naturalized on 1946-08-30 (she had lost her citizenship by marrying Isaac). Isaac’s brother, Helmut Isselbacher, was deported with Transport XXII A from Dossin casern in Mechelen (Malines), Belgium to Auschwitz Birkenau, Poland on 1943-09-20. Of the 2,450 people on the transport, 100 men were selected to work –including Helmut- and the remainder prisoners were gassed. Helmut was made to work as a welder, and was soon fitting new pipes for the gas chamber. He suffered a nervous breakdown as a result. As he was a valued welder, he was transferred to a labour camp in Upper Silesia (Poland) where he remained for two years. As the Russian army advanced, the 6,000 prisoners of this camp were evacuated by train. Helmut remembered being forced to march as the other prisoners died from exhaustion. When liberation was announced, the survivors travelled by ship from Luebeck, Germany, to Sweden with the aid of the Red Cross. After recovery, Helmut decided to remain in Sweden as a welder. Upon learning of his brother’s survival, Helmut travelled to New York in April 1946 to meet with him and their Loewenstein relatives. Afterwards, Helmut travelled to Canada bringing with him a washing machine and bras as late wedding presents for his brother and Fanny. By 1946-08-12, their parents were presumed dead and the two sons inquired into their estate. They received a deed for the land and travelled to the estate to discover that the current owner of their house was their old maid and her son had become the town mayor. Various disputes arose with the current ‘owners’ who believed the Isselbacher family dead. Isaac wished to discuss a settlement, but the mayor’s mother –not realizing Fanny understood German- called the neighbours at work to warn them not to come home as the Isselbacher sons had resurfaced. Payment for the land had reportedly been sent to Israel, though no documentation could be provided.
In the picture
CharityDocumentGovernmentLetterLetterheadMilitarySignatureTypewrittenTagged automatically by a vision model; may contain mistakes.
Location

No place found in this description yet.

Suggest location

Where

More details

Extent
Letter : Paper : Typewritten : Ink : Beige, black, red ; Ht: 28 cm x W: 21,5 cm
Genre / form
textual record
Format
Document
Text in the image
CHAPTER OFFICERSEXECUTIVE DIRECTORTHE AMERICAN RED CROSSNEW YORK CHAPTER315 LEXINGTON AVENUENEW YORK 16, N. Y.MURRAY HILL 4-4455BOARD OF DIRECTORSMRS. AUGUST BELMONTAugust 25, 1944Mr. Siegfried Loebc/o Mrs. Paula Loeb240 Audubon Avenue, Apt 23New York,New York.RE : ISSERBACHER, HelmuthBruxelles.Dear Mr. Loeb:Very truly yours,ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTORGF/bwencMURRAY HILL 4-4459RE : ISSELBACHER, HelmuthLIEUT. GENERAL JAMES G. HARBORD, CHAIRMANHARVEY G. GIBSON, VICE-CHAIRMANMISS ALICE HILL CHITTENDEN, SECRETARYMRS. WILLIAM G. GREEN, ASSISTANT SECRETARYLEON FRASER, TREASURERMISS JEAN A. REID, ASSISTANT TREASURERJOSEPH H. HARTFIELD, COUNSELORMRS. DAVID CHALLINOR, CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEMRS. ISAAC GILMAN, VICE-CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEMAJ. GENERAL ROBERT C. DAVIS(BOROUGHS OF MANHATTAN AND BRONX)(CORNER 38TH STREET)MRS. DAVID CHALLINORALFRED H. HUNT, JR.COLBY M. CHESTERMRS. FRANK R. McCOYMISS ALICE HILL CHITTENDENMRS. CORD MEYERS. SLOAN COLTCHARLES F. HOYESSTUART M. CROCKERMISS NELLIE OPPENHEIMJOHN S. ELLSWORTHALEXANDER E. PATTERSONVINCENT J. FERRISMISS ELLEN M. PHILLIPSLEON FRASERMISS JEAN A. REIDHARVEY G. GIBSONMRS. JOHN E. RILEYDOUGLAS GIBBONSMISS MARY M. ROBERTSMRS. ISAAC GILMANRODERICK STEPHENSDR. DONALD GORDONJOHN P. STEVENS, JR.MRS. WILLIAM G. GREENARTHUR HAYE SULZBERGERGEORGE L. HARRISONMRS. WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT, 2NDJOSEPH H. HARTFIELDJUAN T. TRIPPEMRS. WILLIAM KINNICUTT DRAPERHONORARY MEMBERThe National Headquarters of the American Red Cross has forwarded to us the attached communication which they have received from the International Red Cross Committee in Geneva, Switzerland concerning your inquiry of March 17,1943.We are very sorry that the International Red Cross Committee is not able to give you a more satisfactory report.Read automatically; may contain mistakes.
Language
English
Harvested
2026-10-19T03:21:16Z · source datestamp n/a · andornot

Digital objects at the source

Original metadata

As harvested (andornot)