us-005578-irn607878-irn183406
has record set type: Item
archival history: The painting was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2015 by John B. Rottersman, the son of Rachel Greene Rottersman.
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-terms/823
record resource extent: overall: Height: 10.500 inches (26.67 cm) | Width: 13.625 inches (34.608 cm)
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Rectangular, watercolor and gouache painting on light cream-colored paper. The painting depicts a valley landscape with five rows of fields and pastures on gently rolling hills, low mountains, and a gray, cloudy sky. The first row in the foreground is unplanted, painted in various shades of brown. The second and third rows in the middle ground have rows of green trees along the left, a small section of tan-colored wheat on the right, and a patch of yellow haystacks towards the rear, with various unplanted patches in shades of brown, orange, gray, and pastures in yellow, and green in between. In the background is a forest of dark green pine trees extending toward the foot of the mountains on the left, a patch of lighter green foliage on the right side, and patches of unplanted brown fields in the center. Low mountains, painted in various shades of blue, rise behind the fields. The artist’s signature is painted in the lower right corner in brown. The back of the painting is heavily discolored and stained, and around the edges are tan stripes of remnant adhesive.
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn607878-irn183406/acquisitions/1
has end date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1947-12-31
biographical history: Richard Martin Karl Kiwit (or Kivit, 1888-1981) was born in Tartu, Estonia. In 1904, he began studying art at the Tartu German Artisans Association, and went on to publish illustrations and cartoons. Among his works was a popular series of Estonian children’s books. Richard married Salme Adele Margarete Martin (1891-?), and in 1912, their daughter, Dagmar Elisabeth Kiwit (later Moder 1912-?), was born. In 1944, he immigrated to Germany, where he worked for the publisher, Herba & Schneider, and the Stuttgart and Karlsruhe Museum of Natural History. Dagmar became a pediatrician, and following World War II, worked as a Medical Officer at the Aglasterhausen Children’s Center, run by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). Rachel Blair Greene (later Rottersman, 1908-1993) was born in Seattle, Washington, to William (1874-1947) and Ada (nee Prall, 1877-1929) Greene. Rachel had three brothers, George (1907-1979), Robert (1912-1993), and William, Jr. (1917-2012). William was a lawyer, and the family lived in a large home. They employed a housekeeper, and owned a local movie theater. At age 12, Rachel and a friend began helping care for children from a local orphanage, and gave clothing to a classmate whose family had recently immigrated to the United States. When Rachel was 14, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer while traveling on the east coast, and Rachel took over as the primary caregiver for her brothers. In 1926, Rachel enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle, and focused on premedical studies at her father’s insistence. During Rachel’s third year, her mother died, leading Rachel to drop out of school. In 1931, Rachel joined a government relief organization, a step that aligned with her teenage dream of becoming a social worker. After multiple federal and state assignments, she resigned in early 1936 and reenrolled at the University of Washington, graduating in December 1936. The following month, she began attending the…
identifier: irn183406
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
scope and content: Watercolor painting of farm fields in the German countryside, painted by artist Richard Kiwit (or Kivit) and gifted to Rachel Greene Rottersman, director of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) Aglasterhausen Children’s Center, in Unterschwarzach, Germany. Richard Kiwit was a well-known Estonian illustrator who moved to Germany in 1944. His daughter, Dagmar Elisabeth Kiwit (later Moder), was a pediatrician, and following the war worked as a Medical Officer at Aglasterhausen Children’s Center. The children’s center opened in October 1945, and employed UNRRA personnel, skilled staff from the displaced persons (DP) population, and local German maintenance workers. The children lived in a structured environment, received classroom instruction, participated in music and arts, enjoyed planned recreation time, and were responsible for regular chores. The UNRRA ceased its DP operations in June 1947. However, the children’s center remained open with the assistance of the Preparatory Commission of the International Refugee Organisation (PCIRO). During Rachel Green Rottersman’s tenure, between September 1945 and February 1948, 1,000 children had been cared for at Aglasterhausen. Of those, approximately one-third were repatriated to their native countries in Europe, 100 were reunited with their parents in Germany, and 350 were sent to the United States and Canada for adoption or foster care.
has or had holder: us-005578
is or was included in: us-005578-irn607878
has beginning date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1947-01-01
type: RecordSet
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
title: Watercolor painting of farm fields given to an UNRRA official
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn607878-irn183406/alternateIDs/1