us-005578-irn533517-irn543064
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/0
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/497
biographical history: Chana Pergerycht Wandersman (1926-1988) was born in Będzin, Poland, in Upper Silesia to Sheindl (née Lask, 1896-?) and Abram Mordka Pergerycht (1891-?). She grew up with five siblings, Szlama Herzl (1916-?), Laja Lea (1923-?), Mosze (1927-?), Leib (1930-?), and Zelig (1934-?). During the 1920s and 30s, while Chana was growing up, Będzin was home to a large Jewish community. In 1931, the Jewish population numbered 21,625, roughly half of the town’s total population. There were several hundred Jewish owned factories and workshops, a Jewish press, and primary and secondary schools where lessons were taught in Yiddish and Hebrew. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and on September 4, the German army entered Będzin. The soldiers burned the Great Synagogue of Będzin, as well as roughly 50 Jewish houses surrounding the synagogue. Many Jewish residents were killed by the fires, or by firing squads as they tried to escape. The physical attacks were followed by repressive economic legislation requiring the Jewish population to relinquish their businesses and personal property. Beginning in 1940, Jewish families like the Pergerychts were systematically removed from houses in the center of the city, and forced to find apartments in a four block area. In November, the first deportations from Będzin, known by the Germans as Bensburg, began when all Jews who were not working in local workshops or for the Jewish council were required to appear before a medical commission for selection to labor camps. All of the Jews in Regierungsbezirk Kattowitz region, or East Upper Silesia, which included Będzin, were placed at the disposal of the Organisation Schmelt run by SS-Oberfuehrer Albrecht Schmelt. Organisation Schmelt was an extensive program of forced labor that began establishing camps for Jews in 1940. In December 1941, 15-year-old Chana was deported to Parschnitz labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. Parschnitz was one of the first forced labor camps set up …
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
scope and content: Leather satchel used by Chana Pergerycht Wandersman to hold correspondence she received from family and friends during the time she was held at Parschnitz labor camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia, from December 1941 to May 1945. She also used the bag similarly while living at Feldafing displaced persons (DP) camp in Germany. Before the Holocaust, Chana lived with her parents, Abram Mordka and Sheindl, and her five siblings in Będzin, Poland. The German army entered their town on September 4, 1939, three days after the German invasion of Poland. In December 1941, 15-year-old Chana was deported to Parschnitz labor camp, which was run by Organisation Schmelt, an extensive program of forced labor throughout East Upper Silesia. There, she was forced to work in a spinning mill run by a German firm. She exchanged letters and postcards with her family through July 1, 1943. In the postcards, they discussed having to move from Będzin into the Sosnowiec ghetto. The final liquidation of the ghetto began on August 1, and roughly 10,000 Jews were transported to Auschwitz concentration camp. Chana never heard from her family again, and it is likely that they were all murdered in the camp. Parschnitz was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on May 9, 1945. Following liberation, Chana ended up at Feldafing DP camp in the American zone of occupation in Germany. There she met David Wandersman, a fellow survivor, and they married in the summer of 1946. Together they immigrated to the United States on September 26, 1949.
type: RecordSet
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Brown leather satchel with a fold-over top flap that is secured with a short, vertical strap sewn to the bottom center. The strap is wider at the top, and is attached to the flap with a narrow, horizontal band just below the wide piece. The strap extends below the flap. The leather on the front is ruched with a wide, vertical band running down the center. Near the top of the vertical band, there is a thin, horizontal loop for the strap on the flap to slide through when the bag is closed. The back of the satchel has an attenuated, flat, horizontal strap, sewn near the top. The interior of the bag is lined with tan cloth, and has six rectangular pockets. The largest interior pocket, centered on the back, is secured by a bronze-colored zipper with a green backing. The remaining five pockets are open top. A small metal pin with the overlapping initials HW is attached sideways on the lower left, in-between two pleats from the ruching. The satchel is sewn together at the seams with brown thread. The bag is worn overall, with scratches, particularly on the back. The leather on the front pleats has worn off and the tan underlayer is showing. The interior lining appears to be repaired with a hand sewn seam on the left. front, bottom left, metal pin : HW
has record set type: Item
is or was included in: us-005578-irn533517
identifier: irn543064
archival history: The leather satchel was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by Suzanne Wandersman, the daughter of Chana Pergerycht Wandersman.
record resource extent: overall: Height: 8.250 inches (20.955 cm) | Width: 13.375 inches (33.973 cm) | Depth: 2.125 inches (5.398 cm)
title: Brown leather satchel used by a Polish Jewish prisoner
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-camps/433
date: after 1941 December-1949 September
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn533517-irn543064/acquisitions/1
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn533517-irn543064/alternateIDs/1