us-005578-irn607878-irn183412
type: RecordSet
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.
biographical history: The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was an international relief agency representing 44 nations, but largely dominated by the United States. Founded in 1943, it became part of the United Nations (UN) in 1945, and it largely shut down operations in 1947. Its purpose was to"plan, co-ordinate, administer or arrange for the administration of measures for the relief of victims of war in any area under the control of any of the United Nations through the provision of food, fuel, clothing, shelter and other basic necessities, medical and other essential services" Its staff of civil servants included 12,000 people, with headquarters in New York. Funding came from many nations, and totaled $3.7 billion, of which the United States contributed $2.7 billion; Britain $625 million and Canada $139 million. The Administration of UNRRA at the peak of operations in mid-1946 included five types of offices and missions with a staff totaling nearly 25,000: The Headquarters Office in Washington, The European Regional Office (London), the 29 servicing offices and missions (2 area offices in Cairo and Sydney; 10 liaison offices and missions in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Trieste; 12 procurement offices in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and later Peru, Cuba, India, Mexico, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela; 6 offices for procurement of surplus military supplies in Caserta and later Rome, Honolulu, Manila, New Delhi, Paris, Shanghai), the sixteen missions to receiving countries (Albania, Austria, Byelorussia, China, Czechoslovakia, the Dodecanese Islands, Ethiopia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Korea, the Philippines, Poland, Ukraine, Yugoslavia), and the Displaced Persons Operations in Germany. UNRRA cooperated closely with dozens of volunteer charitable organizations, who sent hundreds of their own agencies to work alongside UNRRA. In operation only three years, the agency d…
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Rectangular, impressionist-style painting, set into a wide, gray wooden frame with gold accents. The painting depicts a small yard, partially enclosed by multi-story brown buildings on the sides and a single-story, brown structure with a pitched roof in the back. In the middle of the yard is a brown wagon. The small, visible section of sky is painted in light blue, cream, and white. In the lower right corner is the artist’s signature in brown paint. The back of the painting is heavily discolored and stained, and has been remounted and backed with mylar sheeting, making the support materials unidentifiable. Under the mylar backing, a caption is handwritten in the center. A silver frame shop sticker, metal hooks, and a hanging wire are attached to the back of the frame. back, upper right corner, sticker. Printed, black ink : HUETTL’S ART STUDIO / 1506 E. 57th ST., CHICAGO, ILL. / PICTURE FRAMING / HAND CARVING ART MATERIALS / Phone-Plaza 2536 back, paper support, handwritten, ink : typical scene – Kreis Mosbach, Germany / 1947
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
has beginning date: 1947-01-01
has end date: 1947-12-31
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had subject: 823
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn183412
is or was included in: us-005578-irn607878
record resource extent: overall: Height: 21.000 inches (53.34 cm) | Width: 21.750 inches (55.245 cm) | Depth: 1.625 inches (4.128 cm) pictorial area: Height: 15.000 inches (38.1 cm) | Width: 15.750 inches (40.005 cm)
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Painting of a scene at the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) Aglasterhausen Children’s Center, in Unterschwarzach (now Schwarzach), Germany, owned by the director, Rachel Greene Rottersman. 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.
title: Painting of an outdoor domestic scene given to an UNRRA official