us-005578-irn517285-irn517286
type: RecordSet
archival history: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
biographical history: Ladislav Davidovic (Louis Davis) was born on May 27, 1923, in Belke, Czechoslovakia (Ukraine), part of the SubCarpathian Rus. His mother, Malvina Maizlik, was born on January 28, 1900, in Osry to a well-to-do family. She was the youngest of twelve siblings, with one sister and one brother living in the United States. His father, Yehuda-Yitzhak (Izák) Davidovic, was born on April 1, 1898, in Bilke. He was the eldest of three brothers: Schmuel, Herschel, married to Rose Stein, and Zeleg who ran a lumber and leather export firm, and two sisters, Fanny and Margaret, who lived in the US. His father was a prosperous banker, and also a biblical scholar with a Yeshiva education. Malvina and Isaac married on September 6, 1922 and resided in Belke. In 1937, Louis was sent to the prestigious Hebrew Gymnasium in Munkacs (Mukecheve, Ukraine), where he became fluent in Hebrew and English. In 1938-1939, that region of Czechoslovakia was seized and annexed by Hungary, a longtime German ally. Laws stripped Jews of their rights and forced them out of many professions. Louis parent’s thought they would be able to ride out this surge of anti-Semitism, as Jews had done throughout history. His father had been a sergeant in the Hungarian Army during World War I and thought that also would help them stay safe. Izak was jailed for a short time, but was able to bribe officials and get released. Under the new laws, he was not allowed to have a business, so he found a non-Jew to act as the owner, and was able to still operate the business. The Hebrew Gymnasium was closed with the arrival of the Hungarians in November 1938, but it was allowed to reopen in January 1939 as the Jewish Gymnasium. When Louis graduated in 1943, he was drafted into the army and told that he would be serving as an officer. When he arrived, he was ridiculed and humiliated for thinking a Jew could be an officer and wear a uniform. His uniform was ripped off him and his saber was replaced with a shovel. He was made leader…
has beginning date: 1942-01-01
has end date: 1968-12-31
has end date: 1948-12-31
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had some members with language: hun
has or had some members with language: eng
has or had some members with language: heb
has or had some members with language: fra
has or had some members with language: ces
has or had subject: 843
has or had subject: 1141
has or had subject: 701
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn517286
is or was included in: us-005578-irn517285
record resource extent: folders oversize folders 9 2
record resource structure: The Louis Davis papers are arranged as a single series.
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: The Louis Davis papers contain records related to Louis Davis (Ladislav Davidovic), a Jewish man who was drafted into the Hungarian army, put into forced labor on the front lines against the Soviet Army, and after the war enrolled into university. The papers document mainly his time post-war, and contain diplomas, course listings, and other material from his time at University of Cluj and Charles University. Other items include his birth certificate, passports, and other forms of identification. Also included are photographs of Ladislav and his family. The Louis Davis papers contain material related primarily to Louis’ time at university after World War II. Included in the records are a lesson book and letter of acceptance to University of Cluj, confirmation of enrollment, registration, and list of courses from Charles University, and in an oversized folder are his diplomas from the Munkacs Hebrew Gymnasium. Also included are passports for his family, his birth certificate, and a repatriation certificate. The correspondence are from Rosh Pinna and Lord Byron Rotherwer. There are also photographs of Louis and his family, though many are not labeled.
title: Louis Davis papers