us-005578-irn50116-irn73574
type: RecordSet
archival history: The photograph sleeve was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2012 by Susan Friedland-Cristina, the granddaughter of Bertha and Morris Berk.
biographical history: Moritz Berk was born on April 9, 1891, in Schwanfeld, Germany, to Jewish parents, Adolf and Sophie (Sofie) Maier Berk. Adolf was born in approximately 1855 in Schwanfeld where his family had lived for generations. Sophie was born on March 7, 1863, in Sickershausen. Moritz had three siblings: Lina, born August 18, 1888; Paula, born July 17, 1894; and Heinrich, born November 3, 1895. Adolf died on February 27, 1915. Moritz served in the German Army in World War I. After the war, he became a merchant. He married Berta Lonnerstaedter. Berta was born on April 9, 1901, in Schwanfeld, to Julius and Jette Stern Lonnerstaedter. Jette was born on February 16, 1870, in Mechenried, Germany. Berta had three brothers: Siegfried, born in 1899, Paul, born in 1900, and Max, born in 1904.The Lonnerstaedter family lived in Mellrichstadt. Max immigrated to the United States in 1928. Moritz and Berta lived in Schwanfeld and had a daughter, Fraenze, in 1930. In June 1932, Moritz was expelled from the Frontkrieger-Verein (Front Warriors Association) because of the anti-Jewish policies of the Nazi party and the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary wing of the Nazi party. In January 1933, Hitler came to power in Germany and by summer had established a dictatorship in Germany. Anti-Jewish legislation was enacted almost immediately. In 1936, Siegfried and his wife and children immigrated to New York. In 1937, Paul, a math teacher, immigrated to New York, but felt he could not abandon his students so he returned to Germany. Heinrich Berk also immigrated to the United States in 1937. On August 17, 1938, Moritz, Berta, Franeze and Jette were issued their visas. On November 2, they boarded the SS Washington in Hamburg, arriving in New York on November 10. The family settled in New York and Americanized their names to Morris, Bertha, and Francise Berk and Yette Lonnerstaedter. Morris worked as a machinist. Morris corresponded with family members left in Germany, seeking assistance in getting affi…
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Handmade, vertical, rectangular pocket made of light brown textured paper, folded in half to make a pouch with a top opening. The sides and the top edge on the back are sewn together with dark brown leather trim, stitched with brown thread. Adhered to the center is a circular painted paper shopkeeper’s label. In the center are 2 gold painted initials, a circular narrow brown ring that resembles leather, 3 words in a black ring, and then another brown ring. The case is stained and has tears.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: 1938 October
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: irn73574
is or was included in: us-005578-irn50116
record resource extent: overall: Height: 6.375 inches (16.192 cm) | Width: 5.125 inches (13.017 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Paper photograph packet owned by Moritz Berk, who decided to leave Nazi Germany for the US in 1938. When Hitler came into power in January 1933, Moritz, his wife Berta, and their daughter Fraenze were living in Schwanfeld, where Morris' family had lived for generations. Under the Nazi government, Jews were persecuted and increasingly banned from areas of German society. Faced with rising anti-Semitism, Moritz, Berta, Fraenze, and Berta’s mother Jette, decided to immigrate to the United States. Berta’s brother, Max Lonnerstaedter, sponsored their 1938 emigration to New York. Moritz’s brother and two of Berta’s brothers also immigrated to the United States before the Holocaust. Their family members who remained in Germany perished in the Holocaust.
title: Handmade paper photo pocket owned by a German Jewish prewar emigre to the United States