us-005578-irn50903-irn95287
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
type: RecordSet
has or had some members with language: deu
identifier: irn95287
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn50903-irn95287/acquisitions/1
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
is or was included in: us-005578-irn50903
date: 1944 October-1945 May
scope and content: Two decks of 32 skat playing cards made in Brunnlitz slave labor camp from handcut rubber stamps by an unnamed prisoner and saved by fellow prisoners Heinz and Joachim Dressler. In October 1938, the Dressler family, Joachim, wife Martha, and children Susi, 24, and Heinz, 19, were deported from Dresden, Germany, to Krakow, Poland. In September 1939, Poland was occupied by Germany. In May 1941, the Dresslers were forced into the Jewish ghetto. Heinz did forced labor for construction of Krakow-Płaszów labor camp. In March 1943, the ghetto was liquidated and the Dressler's were sent to the camp, a brutal place where Ukrainian guards daily shot inmates for no reason. Heinz worked in the camp office; Martha and Susi in a factory; Joachim outside the camp. In 1944, Płaszów became a concentration camp and conditions worsened. That August, the family learned of Oskar Schindler’s list. Schindler owned two nearby factories and employed about 900 Jewish forced laborers, who he protected from the abuse at Płaszów and from deportation. The family got on the list, partly because they spoke German. As the Soviet Army approached, the Germans prepared to close the camp. Schindler relocated his factory to Brunnlitz in German occupied Czechoslovakia, designated a subcamp of Gross Rosen. In October 1944, Heinz and Joachim were sent to Brunnlitz. Martha and Susi arrived in November. Schindler kept the Germans out of the camp. Schindler left on May 7, 1945, the day Germany surrendered. The camp was liberated May 9 by Soviet troops. The family left for Prague, then traveled to different transit camps trying to find a place they wanted to stay. In February 1947, they emigrated to the United States.
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-terms/556
record resource extent: overall: Height: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm) | Width: 2.375 inches (6.033 cm)
has record set type: Item
archival history: The playing cards were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by Diane Spiegel Belok and Donna Kantor Krasner, the nieces of Henry Dressler.
title: Two decks of skat cards used by a concentration camp inmate saved by Schindler's list
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/433
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn50903-irn95287/alternateIDs/1
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn50903-irn95287/alternateIDs/2
physical characteristics and technical requirements: a-bl. Two decks of handmade, rectangular, paper, skat cards. Each deck contains 32 cards, 8 for each suit: red hearts, red diamonds, black clovers, and black spades. Each number card has the number in each corner with the suit symbol below, and the corresponding number of symbols in the center. The Jack card has a B in each corner, and Bube, German for Jack, in mirror image. The Queen card has a D in each corner and Dame, [Queen], in mirror image. The King card has a K in each corner and Konig [King], in mirror image. The Ace card has As in each corner and in the center above the suit symbol. a-h. Black spade suit of 8 cards: 4 number and 4 face cards: a-d. 7-10 spades; e. Ace; f. Jack; g. Queen; h. King. i-p. Black spade suit of 8 cards: 4 number and 4 face cards: i-l. 7-10 spades; m. Jack; n. Queen; o. King; p. Ace. q-x. Red heart suit of 8 cards: 4 number and 4 face cards: q-t. 7-10 hearts; u. Jack; v. Queen; w. King; x. Ace. y-af. Black clover suit of 8 cards: 4 number and 4 face cards: y.-ab. 7-10 clovers; ac. Jack; ad. Queen; ae. King; af. Ace. ag-an. Red heart suit of 8 cards: 4 number and 4 face cards: ag-aj. 7-10 hearts; ak. Jack; al. Queen; am. King; an. Ace. ao-av. Red diamond suit of 8 cards: 4 number and 4 face cards: ao-ar. 7-10 diamonds; as. Jack; at. Queen; au. King; av. Ace. aw-bd. Red diamond suit of 8 cards: 4 number and 4 face cards: aw-az. 7-10 diamonds; ba. Jack; bb. Queen; bc. King; bd. Ace. be-bl. Black clover suit of 8 cards: 4 number and 4 face cards: be-bh. 7-10 clovers; bi. Jack; bj. Queen; bk. King; bl Ace.
biographical history: Henry Dressler (born Heniz, 1919-2005) was born on October 22, 1919, in Dresden, Germany, to Joachim (1888-1971) and Martha Miriam (1896-1956) and had one sister, Susi (1914-1954). Joachim served in the Austro-Hungarian Army in World War I. Joachim owned a textile factory that manufactured linen tablecloths, sheets, and other textiles and had five to ten employees. Martha assisted him with the business. The family was moderately observant and Heinz attended Hebrew school. In 1933, the Nazi dictatorship assumed power in Germany and enacted a series of anti-Jewish policies. Joachim’s brother, Ferdinand, closed his office in Berlin on April 1, 1933, and left for Palestine. Many Jews were forced to put non-Jews in charge of their businesses or sell them at a loss to Nazi approved buyers, but Joachim’s business was never Aryanized in this way. The family considered leaving Germany, possibly for the US, but the strict quotas made getting visas unlikely. In 1936, Henry was forced to leave school because he was Jewish. He attended a private school run by the Dresden Chamber of Commerce. He participated in some school activities, such as orchestra, but as a Jew, could not go on school outings, or participate in activities, such as sports, that took place in public spaces. He then got an internship with a private, Jewish-owned bank and was promoted, until 1938, when the bank was Aryanized. Henry then got a job with a luxury department store, Hirsch & Co. In October 1938, the family was taken to police headquarters and their passports were invalidated. They were taken to the railway station in open trucks to shame them publicly and deported to Poland along with 1500 other Jews. Because Joachim was not born in Germany and did not have German citizenship, the family was considered stateless. Joachim recalled that some family members lived in Krakow, Poland and the family was welcomed there by the Wasserberger family. They had a large house and converted the gym into a bedroom. H…
has or had holder: us-005578