us-005578-irn521785-irn135415
history: Bruno Bernhard Lambert (1910-2013) was born in Andernach, Germany, to Simon (1878-1942) and Lina (nee Löwensberg 1882-1942) Lambert. He had two younger siblings, Alfred (1911-2007) and Hannah (later Myers, 1913-1993). Simon worked as a butcher, and the family was integrated into the larger German community. They observed the Jewish holidays, but did not keep up with orthodox practices. As a child, Bruno was very active in athletics and experienced no antisemitism. Bruno graduated from high school in 1931, and began studying medicine at the University of Bonn the following year. On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg. Under Hitler, authorities quickly began suppressing the rights and personal freedoms of Jews, and boycotting their businesses. At the university, Jewish students were deemed “aliens,” and were no longer eligible to receive diplomas. Since Bruno’s father had served in the German army during World War I, he was allowed to continue his studies, but could not receive a diploma or practice medicine. He was also banned from his athletic organizations. In the year leading up to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Bruno was invited to participate in a Jews-only training camp, though he was not an Olympic-caliber athlete. The camp was part of the Nazi regime's propaganda effort to show the world Germany did not discriminate against Jews. While there, he became friends with Margarethe (Gretel) Bergmann (1914-2017), a track and field athlete who had previously won championships in Germany and Great Britain for high jump. Although Gretel tied the German national record for the high jump and could have won a gold medal, the Nazi authorities stripped her of the record and did not let her compete in the Olympics. Gretel immigrated to the United States in May 1937 and Americanized her name to Margaret. Bruno left the University of Bonn in July 1937, and enrolled at the University of Bern in Switzerland with his frie…
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn521785-irn135415/acquisitions/1
is or was included in: us-005578-irn521785
history: The calipers were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2003 by Dr. Bruno Lambert.
physical characterisitics and technical requirements: Shiny, smooth, silver-colored metal pelvic calipers with 2 long, curved arms with balls at the tips. The arms extend out from a flat, V-shaped center pivot point secured with a bolt. A thin, flat, curved metal scale is attached to the left arm with a screw-down post and passes through a long narrow side slot in each arm. It has a pointed end and is engraved with centimeters, 0 to 50, for measurement as the ends are opened. A second screw-down post on the right arm holds the scale in place while a thin, flexible pointer on the interior indicates the measurement. There is an engraved maker’s mark beside the bolt.
has beginning date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1932-01-01
type: RecordSet
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn135415
scope and content: Calipers brought from Nazi Germany by Dr. Bruno Lambert, who immigrated to the United States in 1938, and served in the United States Army Medical Corps during the war. Medical calipers were used to measure the thickness or breadth of a part of the body. Bruno attended medical school in Germany from 1932-1937, but he was not allowed to receive a diploma as a Jew under the Nazi regime. He transferred to a university in Switzerland, and earned a Doctorate of Medicine in July 1938. With the help of Margaret Bergmann, Bruno immigrated to the US in August. Margaret was a Jewish athlete who was banned from competing in the Olympics by the Nazi authorities, and subsequently immigrated to the US. They had met at an athletic camp years prior and married after Bruno’s immigration. In the US, Bruno completed hospital internships and began practicing as a physician in New York City. In 1944, he became a naturalized citizen and a First Lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps. He deployed for France in October, and was awarded a Bronze Star for his war service. In the spring of 1945, Bruno spent a month and a half as a Medical Officer working with displaced persons (DPs) in Heidelberg, Germany. He returned to the United States in September 1945, and continued working in Army hospitals until the fall of 1946, when he retired from the military and entered private practice.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn521785-irn135415/alternateIDs/1
title: Pelvic calipers used by a Jewish German US Army medic
has or had holder: us-005578
has end date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1945-12-31
record resource extent: overall: Height: 14.500 inches (36.83 cm) | Width: 5.625 inches (14.288 cm) | Depth: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm)