us-005578-irn523225-irn518030
type: RecordSet
archival history: The drawing was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005 by Michael G. Rossmann, the son of Nelly Rossmann.
biographical history: Nelly (Cornelia) Bertha Schwabacher was born on February 14, 1899, in Frankfurt, Germany to Anna Cahn and Heinrich Schwabacher. Her father, a merchant and dealer in rare coins, was from a large, wealthy, prominent Jewish family which had lived in Frankfurt for generations. She had an older brother, William (Willy) Heinrich, born in 1897. The family was assimilated and liberal, and considered themselves Germans. Her maternal grandfather, Adoph E. Cahn, was a prominent coin dealer and the family had been established in the area for generations. On January 30, 1930, Nelly married Alexandre Sasha Rossmann, a member of a wealthy, non-Jewish family from Wiesbaden. Their son, Michael, was born on July 30. Alexandre’s father was a professor and principal of the local Gymnasium. His mother was extremely antisemitic and refused to speak to Nelly. His brother, Bruno, was a dedicated Nazi Party member. Despite the family's anti-Semitism, Nelly and Alexandre's son, Michael, often had enjoyable family visits with his father's family. Nelly and Alexandre divorced in 1933 and Nelly and her son lived with her parents. Her mother looked after the child when Nelly started to work full time as a graphic artist for the Frankfurter Zeitung, a highly respected democratic and intellectual newspaper published since 1866. Around this time, Nelly, a pacifist, became a member of the Society of Quakers. On January 30, 1933, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany. By summer, the Nazi dictatorship was firmly established: the civil rights of all Germans were eliminated and anti-Jewish laws had been enacted. Jews were no longer allowed to work in government positions and there were restrictions placed upon their participation in other areas of economic and cultural life in Germany. In 1935, Nelly was fired from Der Zeitung due to a government decree that Jews could not work in the publishing industry. To support her family, she opened a crafts studio where she gave lessons to Jewish children. Mic…
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Drawing in ink on paper attached to mat board depicting 2 Roma wagons, people, and horses. At the left, a wagon with a closed door is seen from the back. The second wagon, right of center, is positioned horizontally. The back door and side window coverings are open and a portion of the interior is seen inside the door. A child sits on the stairs leading from the open door, a ladder leans against the back and a lamppost is on the right. Two horses stand between the wagons. An entranceway composed of 2 vertical posts topped with 1 horizontal post frames the wagons and horses. A man and 2 children stand on the left and 2 people stand and 3 sit on a bench to the right. White, opaque paint highlights the child on the stairs, the lamppost, and the other people.
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
has beginning date: 1920-01-01
has end date: 1939-12-31
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn518030
is or was included in: us-005578-irn523225
record resource extent: overall: Height: 9.250 inches (23.495 cm) | Width: 13.375 inches (33.973 cm) pictorial area: Height: 6.875 inches (17.463 cm) | Width: 8.500 inches (21.59 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Sketch of 2 Roma carts and their inhabitants by Nelly Rossmann. Nelly was a graphic designer for the Frankfurter Zeitung, a progressive newspaper in Frankfurt, Germany, when Hitler was appointed Chancellor on January 30, 1933. Antisemitic legislation soon took away the rights of Jews. Nelly was a Quaker, but she had been born Jewish, and in 1935, she was fired due to a decree that Jews could not work in publishing. Nelly taught children crafts to support her 5 year old son, Michael. After the Kristallnacht pogrom in November 1938, her parents left for England, but Nelly still had strong pro-German feelings and was not ready to leave her country. In 1939, she and Michael went to England to visit her family; while they were there, Germany invaded Poland and war broke out. They remained in England and, after the war ended in May 1945, she became a British citizen.
title: Drawing of Roma wagons and their occupants by a German Jewish refugee