Helena Minzer was born in 1925 in Lwów, Poland (now L’viv, Ukraine). In 1941, Helena, a Jew, was forced to live in the Lwów ghetto. There she remained for two years, before escaping in 1943. Upon her escape, Helena acquired false papers under the name Jadwiga Jadzia Polubiak and went into hiding with Janina Szychlińska and her family in Mosty Wielkie (Now Velyki Mosty, Ukraine). After three months in hiding, Helena volunteered for forced labor in Germany in the Emden labor camp. She survived her ordeal and was liberated in May of 1945. From there, Helena traveled around Europe, eventually residing in the Hannover displaced persons camp in Germany. Helena married Julian Nawrocki, also of Lwów and settled in Haifa, Israel.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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The Helena Minzer letters are arranged as a single series.
The Helena Minzer letters concern Helena Minzer, a Polish Jewish woman, and her experiences during the Holocaust. Forced to live in the Lwow ghetto, Helena Minzer escaped under a false name and went into hiding with the Szychlińska family in Mosty Wielkie before entering a forced labor camp. Her papers are comprised of 8 letters written by her to Janina Szychlińska while in the camp and immediately after liberation in 1945.
Helena Minzer letters