us-005578-irn614447-irn627361
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
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…
type: RecordSet
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Long, off-white headband or maid’s cap made of thin, lightweight woven cloth and trimmed with decorative, crocheted lace. The band’s body is formed from a single piece of cloth folded in half along the bottom, and neatly hemmed along the top with off-white thread that also secures the lace trim. The body has slightly curved edges, a wide center, and tapers to rounded ends. A narrow cloth tie that is approximately 15-inches long is stitched into each end of the band. The upper edge of the band is trimmed with decorative, off-white crocheted lace with a floral pattern and a scalloped edge. There is faint, brown staining throughout.
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn614447-irn627361/alternateIDs/1
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn614447-irn627361/alternateIDs/3
title: Lace-trimmed headband or cap owned by a Hungarian chambermaid
identifier: irn627361
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn614447-irn627361/alternateIDs/2
archival history: The headband was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018, by Eva Brust Cooper, the daughter of Lilly Brust Gach.
is or was included in: us-005578-irn614447
scope and content: Uniform headband belonging to a maid employed by Livia Brust (later Lilly Brust Gach) before and 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.
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn614447-irn627361/acquisitions/1
record resource extent: overall: Height: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm) | Width: 44.000 inches (111.76 cm)
date: approximately 1933-1944
has record set type: Item
conditions of access: No restrictions on access