United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The Szamek family resided in Budapest, Hungary. Rosalia Rosenberg was born on May 16, 1870 in Pozsony, Hungary. In 1890, she married an artist named Isidor Rosenberg. Their daughter Mariska (Mary) Rosenberg was born on November 20, 1891. Shortly after his daughter’s birth, Isidor died. By 1892 Rosalia remarried another artist named Isidore Szamek, who specialized in creating stained glass windows and murals for public buildings. Together they had eight children: Berta (b. May 28, 1895), Sari (b. March 7, 1897), Juliska (b. April 11, 1899), Elizabeth (Bozsi, b. February 4, 1901), Ethel (b. September 3, 1903), Jolan (b. February 8, 1906), Llonka (b. March 3, 1909), and Laszlo (b. October 14, 1914). On December 31, 1911 Mariska (Mary) Rosenberg marries Janos Juhasz. Their only son died at the age of three months. Afterwards, Mariska left Janos, who was a womanizer and alcoholic, and returned to living with her parents. In 1914, Mariska changed her name to Mary and immigrated to the United States. Mary Rosenberg arrived in New York on June 15, 1914. She obtained a divorce from Janos via proxy and on April 18, 1921 she married Martin Kepesh (born Kepecs). Martin was born on December 28, 1883 in Kisulak, Hungary. Mary had agreed to marry Kepesh after he promised to assist her sisters in immigrating to the United States. A year into their marriage, he reneged on his promise and as a result several of her family members were caught up in the Holocaust. In 1925, their daughter, Fannie Hermina Kepesh was born. Fannie later legally changed her name to Faye Baron. The fate of the extended Szamek family is largely unknown. Prior to the war, Berta Szamek had a daughter Emma; Ilonka had a daughter Margaret; and Juliska had a son. On October 15, 1941, Laszlo Szamek married a woman named Magda. They both survived the Holocaust and eventually had a son, Laszlo Jr.
folders oversize folder 7 1
The Szamek family collection is organized three series: Series 1: Financial Materials, 1920-1922 Series 2: Photographs, circa 1893-1968 Series 3: Artwork, circa 1914-1921
The Szamek family collection relates to the pre-war experiences of the Szamek family in Budapest, Hungary. The collection contains studio portraits and informal photographs. Also included are financial receipts addressed to Isidore Szamek, 1920-1922, as well as watercolor artwork and an illustrated poem created by Isidore Szamek. The artwork was sent to Szamek’s stepdaughter, Mary Rosenberg, after she immigrated to the United States in 1914. Financial materials in the collection issued to Isidore Szamek includes a Food Draft / Receipt for one package equivalent to $10 from the American Relief Administration, Budapest, Hungary, March 8, 1920; two checks, December 7, 1920, March 4, 1921; and two receipts for financial transactions by Isidore Szamek, December 8, 1921, October 21, 1922. Photographs of the Szamek Family include the portraits of Faye Baron’s great-grandparents, circa 1893; a group photograph of the Szamak family with Mary Rosenberg standing on far left, circa 1906; a studio portrait of Elizabeth Szamek, 1929; a group photograph of five men and one woman standing in a doorway, Isidore Szamek (2nd from left); three unidentified children, Faye Baron’s cousins, holding toys, March 2, 1933; Juliska Szamek standing next to her son in a doorway, August 27, 1938; and a group photograph of the Szamek family, October 15, 1941. Photographs of Rosalia Rosenberg Szamek (b. 1870) include two portraits of Rosalia and Isidore Szamek, 1892, 1922; a portrait of Isidore Szamek, undated; Rosalia and her son Laszlo, circa 1922-1923; two informal photographs of Rosalia, 1933, 1935; Rosalia with her daughter Ilonka and granddaughter Margaret, April 22, 1940; and a group photograph of Rosalia, her daughters and grandchildren, undated. Photographs of Berta Szamek, include three studio portraits of Berta Szamek taken in Budapest, Hungary, 1919-1923; a studio portrait of Berta and her daughter Emma, June 24, 1923; and Berta and Emma standing in bathing suits at the beach with an unidentified woman, undated. Photographs of Mary Kepesh (née Rosenberg, 1891-1961) includes a photograph of Rosalia Szamek holding her daughter Mary, circa 1891-1892; three studio portraits of Mary, 1919-1925; and a photograph of Mary and a friend, Sadie Feigenbaum, circa 1920-1921. Photographs of Laszlo Szamek include Laszlo Szamek, June 5, 1934; a wedding photograph of Laszlo and Magda Szamek, Budapest, Hungary, October 15, 1941; two family photograph of Laszlo, Magda, and Laszlo Jr., July 7, 1958, August 12, 1968. The collection also includes two photographs of Martin Kepesh, Mary Rosenberg’s second husband, circa 1900s. The collection includes two pieces of artwork created by Isidore Szamek which were sent to his stepdaughter Mary Rosenberg, who lived in the United States. The first piece is a watercolor drawing of flowers on a pedestal with a landscape in the background and was created by Isidore Szamek while he was serving in World War I. This item includes a caption written by Szamek in German, circa 1914-1918. The second piece is an illustrated poem “Mariskanknak” [Little Mary] written in Hungarian and is illustrated with a border of watercolor flowers, June 19, 1921. This was sent to Mary Rosenberg in celebration of her marriage to Martin Kepesh.
Szamek family collection