us-005578-irn36092-irn37085
type: RecordSet
archival history: The name tag was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2008 by Vera Lechtman.
biographical history: Marc Hoffmann (b.1939) was born in Paris, France, to Polish parents Charles (1904-?) and Helene (nee Mateles, 1908-?) Hoffmann. Charles, a cutter, moved to France in 1924, but returned to Poland and married Helene, a bank official, in 1933. After they married, Charles and Helene returned to France, eventually settling in Paris. Because his parents were Polish, Charles was briefly conscripted into the Polish army. Helene gave birth to their son, Marc, in March 1939. In the summer of 1942, under the fear of arrest and deportation, the family submitted a declaration for admission to Switzerland. Although Switzerland had a tradition of wartime neutrality and helping refugees, the threat of a German invasion led them to limit the number of foreigners it allowed into the country, put refugees in camps, and prohibited those coming from France. The Hoffmann family did not receive approval, and on October 27, 1942, illegally crossed the border into Switzerland from Annemasse. They were placed together in Camp Les Charmilles in Geneva until November 11, when Marc was placed at the Wartheim children’s home. He stayed there until July 19, 1943, when he was placed in the care of Margaret Locher, who ran a home near Zurich named “Rebhaus” for Jewish children whose parents were in internment or refugee camps. Charles and Helene were split up as well. Charles was sent to Raron, where he worked the land as a laborer until January 11, 1943. He was then moved around to multiple camps within Switzerland, including Büren, Montana, Raron, Siders, and Sonnenberg. By early January, 1945, Charles was contacting the authorities in Bern in preparation of returning to France, but on February 25, 1945, he was arrested for fleeing Sonnenberg and attempting to cross the border illegally. However, he made a final, successful attempt on May 2, 1945. Helene was transferred from Les Charmilles to the Les Avants refugee camp in Montreux until the end of August 1943. Then, she was transferred to a wome…
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Oval, metal tag with 2 attached rings on top, connected by a string formed into a loop, and made to wear around the neck. The front has an embossed image of a seated woman with a baby, a standing man with a child, and a second seated woman reaching towards the other woman with an engraved inscription around the top edge. The back is engraved and etched with identifying text. front, stamped on top edge : NICHTS SOLL UNS TRENNEN IN NOT UND GEFAHR [Nothing will divide us in trouble and danger] back, top stamped : KANTON ZÜRICH 1944 back, etched hand etched in center : 5.3.39. / Hoffman, Marc / Zumikerstrasse / b / Frl. locher / Küsnacht / zch. back, bottom, center, stamped : MuGuEnin
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: 1944-before 1946 September
has beginning date: 1944-01-01
has end date: 1944-12-31
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had some members with language: deu
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn37085
is or was included in: us-005578-irn36092
record resource extent: overall: Height: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm) | Width: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Identification tag issued to five-year-old Marc Hoffmann in 1944 while in the care of a children’s home in Switzerland run by Margaret Locher, after escaping France with his mother, Helene, and father, Charles. The tag is engraved with his name and birthdate, the name of his foster parent, and the address of the home. Marc was born in Paris, France, to Polish parents. In the summer of 1942, fearing arrest and deportation, the family submitted a declaration for admission to Switzerland. They did not receive approval, and illegally crossed the border in October. They were placed together in Camp Les Charmilles in Geneva until November 11, when Marc was placed at the Wartheim children’s home. He stayed there until July 19, 1943, when he was placed in the care of Margaret Locher, who ran a home near Zurich named “Rebhaus” for Jewish children whose parents were in internment or refugee camps. Among Marc’s foster siblings were Vera and Marcel Lechtman, and Georges Maringer. Charles was moved around to multiple camps within Switzerland until May 1945, when he escaped and illegally crossed the border back into France. Helene was also transferred among multiple camps, and while being held completed a course and internship as a seamstress. Helene returned to France in March 1946, but Marc had to stay behind for health reasons. He was permitted to return to France that September.
title: Identification tag with name and birthdate issued to a Jewish refugee child