Pressel family papers

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 

Pressel family papers 

boxes 2 

Consists of letters and documents related to the Holocaust experiences of the family of Joseph and Miriam Pressel, who, with son Philip, were originally of Belgium, and the experiences of their immediate and extended families. The Pressels fled Belgium for France in 1939 and survived the war in Marseille, Lyon, and Paris. Includes wartime letters from the Pressels to Eli Schwerner, an uncle of Miriam in New York, requesting help to escape. Also includes similar wartime letters to Susi Pantzer, niece of Joseph Pressel, who lived in London, as well as letters to and from other family members. Most of the letters are translated into English and printed in a book,"They are Still Aliv" by Philip Pressel, which is included in the collection. Also includes post-war letters, including one in which the family writes to Eli to let him know they have survived. Also includes an oral history interview with Miriam Pressel Groner and notes and work done by Joseph Pressel who, after the war, developed a system of Hebrew shorthand.