us-005578-irn520182-irn511188
type: RecordSet
archival history: The belt was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2002 by Dr. James Vogel, the son of Steven Vogel.
biographical history: Steven Vogel (formerly István, 1922-2012) was born in Budapest, Hungary, to Vilma (née Deutsch, 1895-1944) and Ödön (Edmond, 1883-1944) Vogel. Vilma was born in Újpest, Hungary, to Rose (née Lichtenstein,?-1935) and Anton Deutsch (?-1909). She had five sisters, and one brother. One of Vilma’s sisters, Szeren (Serena, 1889-1942) was married to Adolf Schwarcz, and they had a daughter, Livia (later Lilly Brust Gach, 1912-2001), and a son, Laszlo (later Leslie Shaw, 1915-1990). Adolf was business partners with Edmond, and introduced him to Vilma. Edmond and Vilma married in October 1921. Edmond was born in Budapest to Katalin (née Mosinger, 1840-1921) and Mor Vogel (1841-1908), and worked as a wholesaler representing the Swiss Movado Watch Company in Hungary, and the surrounding countries. The family lived very comfortably, and employed several full-time staff members in their home. Steven was an only child, but was very close with his numerous cousins. Steven was also close with his 31 classmates, an equal mix of Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant boys. The entire family spoke Hungarian and considered themselves very proud Hungarians. The family was also very religious. Edmond went to the Dohány Street Synagogue every Friday, where he was a member of the board of trustees. With the appointment of Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933, the Nazi party began solidifying political control, and the Hungarian government began building an alliance with Nazi Germany. Starting in 1938, Hungary began passing anti-Jewish laws modeled after Germany’s Nuremberg laws from 1935, which defined Jews in racial terms; excluded them from various professions, restricted their opportunities in economic life, and stripped them of equal citizenship status. Steven was in his last year of high school in 1939, when Germany started World War II by invading Poland on September 1. In November 1940, Hungary officially joined the Axis alliance, and began fighting alongside Germany. …
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Narrow, red-brown leather belt with a rectangular, tarnished, silver-colored metal, frame style buckle with a prong at one end. The buckle is attached by a sewn leather fold using tan thread. At the end of the double layer of leather is a fixed leather loop. The other end of the belt has a ragged edge where part of the belt has torn off. A portion of a machine-made hole remains near the tear. Decorative horizontal lines spanning the length of the belt are stamped along the top and bottom edge. The underside of the belt is tan, unfinished leather. Overall the leather is heavily deteriorated, with lots of cracking on the top. The tan-brown underlayer shows through where the surface is worn, particularly near the torn end.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
date: 1945 May 05-1945 May 07
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had subject: 585
has or had subject: 570
has or had subject: 0
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn511188
is or was included in: us-005578-irn520182
record resource extent: overall: Height: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Width: 47.750 inches (121.285 cm) | Depth: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Leather belt taken from an SS storeroom at Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, by Steven (István) Vogel and worn for two days after liberation on May 5, 1945. Steven, an only child, grew up in Budapest, Hungary, with his parents Edmond and Vilma. In September 1939, during Steven’s last year of high school, Germany began World War II by invading Poland. In November 1940, Hungary officially joined the Axis alliance and began fighting alongside Germany. Initially, the alliance had little impact on Steven’s life, and he began law school in 1941. In February 1944, his father, Edmond, passed away due to kidney disease. On March 19, German forces occupied Hungary because the nation had tried to negotiate an armistice with the Allies. Steven and his mother were arrested on May 23, and taken to Gestapo headquarters. Steven and Vilma were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center in German-occupied Poland. Upon their arrival, Vilma was sent to the gas chambers and murdered. Steven was initially selected for forced labor at a coal mine, and then later at a Volkswagen factory. In April 1945, as the Red Army advanced on the region, the factory complex was evacuated. Steven was sent on a forced march through the snow and ice for several days before being put on a train to Mauthausen. Shortly after his arrival, the camp was liberated by American troops. After liberation Steven made his way to Switzerland, before immigrating to the United States on November 3, 1945.
title: Leather belt taken from an SS storeroom at a concentration camp and worn by a Hungarian Jewish inmate after liberation