us-005578-irn614447-irn627358
date: approximately 1933-2001
has or had some members with language: lat
has record set type: Item
record resource extent: overall: Height: 24.375 inches (61.913 cm) | Width: 14.500 inches (36.83 cm)
biographical history: Livia Schwarcz (later Lilly Brust Gach, 1912-2001) was born in Budapest, Hungary, to Adolf (1880-1959) and Szeren (Serena, nee Deutsch, 1889-1942) Schwarcz. Livia had a younger brother, Laszlo (later Leslie Shaw, 1915-1990). Her father, Adolf, and his business partner and brother-in-law, Ödön Vogel (Edmond, 1883-1944), ran a wholesale business representing the Swiss Movado Watch Company in Hungary. On June 4, 1933, Livia married Elek Brust (1899-1957), who owned a wholesale paper company. He was born in Budapest, to Bela (1878-1943) and Roza Orova Brust. Livia, Elek, and their parents were university-educated, affluent, and assimilated. They spoke Hungarian, German, English, and French. Livia and Elek had a daughter, Eva (later Cooper, b. 1934), lived in a large apartment in Pest, and employed several staff members in their home. They attended the Dohány Street Synagogue. Livia's large, extended family was close-knit, and gathered regularly for holidays. Starting in 1938, Hungary began passing anti-Jewish laws modeled after Germany’s Nuremberg laws from 1935, which defined Jews in racial terms. They excluded them from various professions, restricted their opportunities in economic life, and stripped them of equal citizenship status. In April 1939, Livia’s parents, Adolf and Szeren, visited the World’s Fair in the United States. Adolf was concerned about the aggressive actions being taken by Germany, and secretly made plans to reestablish his business in the US. He did confide in Livia and Elek, as an unsuccessful attempt to convince them to immigrate as well. Livia and Elek believed the danger would pass, and they did not want to leave. Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland in September 1939, beginning World War II (1939-1945), and Hungary joined the German-led Axis Alliance on November 20, 1940. Soon thereafter, Elek was conscripted into a Hungarian forced labor camp, leaving Livia to run the business while he was gone. After several months, Livia secured his…
identifier: irn627358
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Dark brown, hip-length, collarless, heavyweight, seed-stitched knit cardigan with long, fitted barrel sleeves. The garment seams are neatly stitched with brown thread, and all of the hemmed edges are rolled. It has an open front with a V-shaped neckline above a four-button front placket that fastens the lower half. The circular, gold-colored, metal shank buttons are stitched along the left side of the placket. The flat surface of each button resembles a worn, embossed coin, with the bust of Emperor Nero laureate in left profile, ringed by Latin text. There are four, corresponding horizontal buttonholes finished with brown and orange threads along the right side. Three, U-shaped patch pockets of the same material are sewn to the front: a small one on the upper left breast, and a larger one on each hip. Each pocket is faced by thin, brown cloth. The interior edge of the placket, the buttonholes, and rear bottom hem are faced with dark brown, grosgrain ribbon. Portions of the interior are lined with a satin-weave cloth: the upper body with discolored reddish-orange material, and the sleeves with dark brown. The second button from the top is now missing. The jacket is well-worn overall, and there are white discolorations throughout. Both sleeves have small losses in the material, especially at the frayed cuffs and at the elbows, which have been repaired with brown thread. The ribbon facing along the placket has also been repaired.
title: Knit cardigan with decorative buttons and lining owned by a Hungarian Jewish woman
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
archival history: The cardigan was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018, by Eva Brust Cooper, the daughter of Lilly Brust Gach.
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn614447-irn627358/acquisitions/1
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn614447-irn627358/alternateIDs/3
type: RecordSet
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn614447-irn627358/alternateIDs/2
scope and content: Knit cardigan with novelty buttons used by Livia Brust (later Lilly Brust Gach) during World War II (1939-1945) in Hungary. Livia was living in Budapest, Hungary, with her husband, Elek, and their daughter, Eva, when Hungary joined the German-led Axis Alliance in November 1940. Elek was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Budapest and a prosperous manufacturer. Beginning in late 1940, Jewish males were required to do forced labor service and Elek was sent to a labor camp. Livia managed the business while he was gone, and eventually obtained his release with black market papers. In 1943, Elek was conscripted again, and not released until March 1944. Later that month, German troops marched into Budapest. German authorities severely restricted Jewish life, and began deporting Hungarian Jews. In late August, Livia, Elek, and Eva obtained Swedish protective passes from Raoul Wallenberg. However, in October, they decided it was safer to go into hiding. They stayed in several places in the city, even as Soviet bombardment increased and there were power outages and food shortages. Eventually, they joined a family friend in the countryside. They hid in many places there, and were in the town of Érd when Budapest was liberated in February 1945. Most of Livia and Elek's family members perished. As Soviet control of postwar Hungary increased, the Brust family decided to leave. They sailed from England on May 27, 1947, and settled in New York City, where Livia's parents and brother had relocated in 1939 and 1941, respectively.
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn614447-irn627358/alternateIDs/1
is or was included in: us-005578-irn614447
has or had holder: us-005578