At the outbreak of the Second World War Pinkas alias Paul Leiser (also Lesser) fled from Belgium to the United States of America, where he joined the army. Paul's brother Aron, who lived in Krosno, Poland, and his parents Hersch and Henny Leiser-Kanner, who lived in Liège, Belgium, sent Paul letters and postcards. Paul Leiser cherished these mementos until his passing in 1986. The items were then passed on to his daughter Rosette Lesser (married Wien), and his granddaughter Valerie Wien. On 15 April 2024 Rosette and Valerie kindly permitted Kazerne Dossin to digitize the items in this collection.
Hersch Leiser (also Leizer) was born in Jasliska, Poland, on 1 February 1876. He became a clothing fabric merchant. On 18 July 1896, Hersch married Henny Kanner, who had been born in Strzyzow, Poland, on 17 September 1871. The couple had six sons, all born in Jasliska: Samuel alias Szmul (on 14 December 1899), Aron (in 1903), Isak Wolf alias Icik (on 1 October 1904), Abraham (on 12 October 1907), Pinkas alias Paul (on 11 December 1910), and Mojzes alias Maurice (on 5 October 1918). In November 1928, eldest son Samuel Leiser emigrated to Belgium. He was followed, in early 1929, by Abraham and Isak Wolf, and, in the mid-1930s, by Paul. In December 1937, eldest son Samuel Leiser filed a request with the Belgian authorities to obtain travel visa for his parents Hersch and Henny Leiser-Kanner and his youngest brother Mojzes. It would take until 1939 for the necessary paperwork to come through. In June 1939, Hersch, Henny and Mojzes were finally reunited with Samuel, Abraham, Isak Wolf and Paul in Antwerp, where Hersch and Henny settled at Nottebohmstraat 25. The family still lived there when Nazi-Germany invaded Belgium on 10 May 1940. Around that time, Samuel and Paul Leiser fled via Cuba to the United States of America, in the company of Samuel’s wife and child. Upon their arrival in New York, Paul Leiser was taken in by his paternal aunt Frieda Leiser-Galanty. The American administration would rename him Paul Lesser. Meanwhile, in Belgium, Hersch and Henny Leiser-Kanner and their remaining sons Isak Wolf, Abraham and Mojzes were forced to obey the anti-Jewish decrees. At the end of 1940 they all registered in the municipal Jewish register of Antwerp. By then, Hersch, Henny and Mojzes were living at Schupstraat 11, while Abraham and his family lived at Lange Herentalsestraat 127, and Isak Wolf and his family lived at Dageraadplaats 8. Between February and April 1941 all Leiser-Kanner relatives relocated to Liège. Only a few weeks later, Abraham, his wife and children left for France. In late 1941, they reached Cuba where they survived the war. In early 1942 Isak Wolf Leiser left for France where he awaited an opportunity to emigrate. In March 1942, Hersch and Henny Leiser-Kanner and their remaining son Mojzes became members of the Liège branch of the Association of Jews in Belgium. Via mail, they remained in contact with their five sons abroad. In Summer 1942 youngest son Mojzes received a work order, telling him to report for forced labour. Mojzes decided not to obey, but travelled from Liège to France where he joined his brother Isak Wolf. Together, they were able to cross the French-Suisse border on 16 October 1942. Both survived the war in Switzerland. Upon Mojzes’ departure Hersch and Henny Leiser-Kanner stayed behind by themselves in Liège, Belgium. In December 1942, they were arrested. The elderly couple was deported from the SS-Sammellager Mecheln (Dossin barracks) to Auschwitz-Birkenau via transport XIX on 15 January 1943. Both were murdered. That same year, their son Aron, who had remained in Poland, was murdered in Kosno. After Liberation, Hersch and Henny’s five surviving sons all returned to Belgium at certain points in time. Paul, who served in the American army in Europe, was introduced to camp survivor Scheindla Weinreb in Antwerp in 1945. The couple married in 1946 and lived alternately in the United States and in Belgium. Paul and Scheindla had three children, including Rosette (born in 1949), who is one of the donors of the collection.
Valerie Wien, private collection, Edegem
The Weinreb-Weinreb family collection (KD_01021) contains documents on Scheindla Weinreb, daughter-in-law of Hersch and Henny Leiser-Kanner.
No further accruals are to be expected.
Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu
26 digitised images (11 documents and 1 photo)
This collection contains: two letters sent by Aron Leiser in Krosno, Poland, to his brother Pinkas alias Paul Leiser (also Lesser) in New York, United States of America, 1941 ; nine postcards sent by Hersch and Henny Leiser-Kanner (also Leizer-Kanner) and their son Mojzes alias Maurice Leiser in Liège, Belgium, to their son and brother Pinkas alias Paul Leiser in New York, United States of America, 1941 ; a photo of Pinkas alias Paul Leiser in his American army uniform, 1945.
Leiser-Kanner family. Collection