us-005578-irn43162-irn43165
type: RecordSet
archival history: The violin, bows, case, and accessories were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2010 by Riva Berelson and Simon Baigelman on behalf of the Estate of Henry Baigelman.
biographical history: Henry Chaim Baigelman was born on July 12, 1911, in Łódź, Poland, to Szyman and Rifka. He had a brother David, a composer and conductor, born in March 1887, two other brothers, a sister Rose, and three other sisters. A Polish-Jewish family, they attended synagogue, observed major holidays, and spoke Polish and Yiddish at home. Henry attended shul every Saturday, and received his secular education at a public Polish Gymnasium. They were a family of professional musicians. When Henry was 6, his brother-in-law, Samuel, taught him to play the violin. He joined a conservatory and at 15 began playing both the violin and the saxophone professionally. Szyman died in 1939, before the war started. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. When the bombing began, the Baigelman men fled the city and hid in a field to avoid being caught and sent to a labor camp. Henry promised his mother that he would return that same day and he did. By September 8, the German army occupied Łódź and established a sealed ghetto. Henry, Rifka, David, a younger brother, Rose, her daughter, and extended family members were forced to move into a two room apartment in the ghetto. Henry worked in a kitchen and at a factory that manufactured hats for German soldiers. The administrative head of the ghetto, Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski, established the House of Culture where the Łódź ghetto orchestra performed twice per week; David was the conductor and Henry played the violin. After Rose died of a brain tumor around 1942, Rifka and Henry cared for her daughter. On June 10, 1944, Heinrich Himmler ordered the destruction of the ghetto. David hid the family instruments, including Henry’s violin, in a factory attic. On August 4, 1944, Henry and 23 family members were deported to Auschwitz concentration camp. They took what they could carry and were forced into covered cattle cars for an overnight ride. Upon arrival, the men, women, and children were separated. Henry was stripped, shaved, disinfected, and gi…
physical characteristics and technical requirements: a. Full size, dark brown varnished wooden violin with vertical striations on the body. The top end is a carved spiral volute scroll that extends into a rectangular, slotted peg box with 4 holes with 4 black painted wooden tuning pegs inserted. Four metal strings wrapped with different colored thread are wound around the pegs. Below the peg box, the narrow neck attaches to the hourglass shaped body. The black painted fingerboard covers the neck and upper body. The strings extend along the fingerboard, over the light brown, unfinished wooden bridge, and through the 4 slotted metal holes of the fine tuner that extend beyond the tailpiece; the 2 silver metal tuner screws insert into the tailpiece top. The bridge is mounted upright between 2 F-shaped sound holes in the center body. The black painted tailpiece is wired to the black painted endpin. There is purfling, a narrow decorative inlay, around the body perimeter. A black painted oval wooden chin rest is attached to the right of the tailpiece by an adjustable metal clamp. On the interior left side is a dated repair note and signature written cursive in black ink. b. Black, leather covered plywood violin shaped case with a hinged convex lid. All hardware is gold colored metal. On the front left and far right are 2 drawbolts with hasp locks; in the center is a key plate and hasp lock and a black plastic handle. There are 3 metal feet. The lid is attached to the base with 3 flap hinges that are covered on the interior with padded gold ribbon. The interior is lined in green velvet with a padded perimeter. The lid interior has 2 strips of gold ribbon on each side for placing the 2 bows. There is a semi-circular left side compartment with a divider panel for the bow tips. The tips are held in place at the handle by 2 velvet covered metal spring right side brackets riveted to the lid; the rivets are visible on the exterior. The base has 2 flap covered accessory compartments; a manufacturer’s sticker is attached to the outsi…
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: before 1944 August-after 1945 May, after 1945 February
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had some members with language: deu
has or had some members with language: ita
has or had some members with language: eng
has or had subject: 483
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn43165
is or was included in: us-005578-irn43162
record resource extent: a: Height: 23.500 inches (59.69 cm) | Width: 8.000 inches (20.32 cm) | Depth: 4.000 inches (10.16 cm) b: Height: 4.750 inches (12.065 cm) | Width: 30.500 inches (77.47 cm) | Depth: 9.875 inches (25.083 cm) c: Height: 25.000 inches (63.5 cm) | Width: 9.125 inches (23.178 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) d: Height: 29.500 inches (74.93 cm) | Width: 0.625 inches (1.588 cm) | Depth: 1.125 inches (2.858 cm) e: Height: 29.125 inches (73.978 cm) | Width: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm) | Depth: 1.125 inches (2.858 cm) f: Height: 2.125 inches (5.398 cm) | Width: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Depth: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm) g: Height: 2.125 inches (5.398 cm) | Width: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Depth: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm) h: Height: 2.125 inches (5.398 cm) | Width: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Depth: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm) i: Height: 2.125 inches (5.398 cm) | Width: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Depth: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm) j1: Height: 0.750 inches (1.905 cm) | Width: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm) | Depth: 3.000 inches (7.62 cm) j2: Height: 1.125 inches (2.858 cm) | Width: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm) | Depth: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm) j3: Height: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Width: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm) | Depth: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm) k1: Height: 0.625 inches (1.588 cm) | Width: 2.250 inches (5.715 cm) | Depth: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm) k2: Height: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Width: 2.500 inches (6.35 cm) | Depth: 1.625 inches (4.128 cm) k3: Height: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Width: 2.500 inches (6.35 cm) | Depth: 1.500 inches (3.81 cm) l: Height: 1.125 inches (2.858 cm) | Width: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) m: Height: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm) | Width: 1.625 inches (4.128 cm) | Depth: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm) n: Height: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm) | Width: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) o: Height: 3.000 inches (7.62 cm) | Width: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm) | Depth: 0.375 inches (0.953 cm) p: Height: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Width: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm) | Depth: 0.…
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Violin, case, and parts recovered from the Łódź ghetto in Poland and played by Henry Baigelman after the war. The instruments were hidden in an attic by Henry's brother David in the summer of 1944 after they learned that the Germans were going to destroy the ghetto. They were recovered by his brother-in-law after the city was liberated by the Soviets in January 1945. Two violins were recovered: this one and 2010.472.2; one was played by Henry in the ghetto; the other originally belonged to Henry's cousin. Henry was a professional musician in Łódź when Germany occupied Poland on September 1, 1939. He and his family were imprisoned in the Łódź (Litzmannstadt) ghetto where he and David performed with the orchestra. On June 10, 1944, Himmler ordered the ghetto destroyed. David hid the family instruments. On August 4, 1944, the family was deported to Auschwitz where they were separated. Henry was transferred to Kaltwasser, Flossenberg, and Altenhammer concentration camps. In Altenhammer, the camp supervisor had a violin; Henry played for him and received extra rations. On April 20, 1945, the prisoners were sent on a forced march and were liberated on April 23 by the US Army. Henry traveled to Cham, Germany, where he organized a band, The Happy Boys, that performed in displaced persons camps. Henry and 2 nephews were the only family members who survived the Holocaust. Henry married and emigrated to the United States in 1949.
title: Violin, bows, case and accessories recovered from Łódź ghetto and played in DP camps by a Polish Jewish musician