The napkins were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018 by Nancy Shanes, the goddaughter of Beatrice Neu Melov.
Set of six (a-f), square-shaped, off-white, cloth napkins bearing a matching blue and white woven pattern and satin-stitched initials in white. The repeating, blue scrollwork, heart, and leaf border is woven along the edge with a blue line bordering the inner edge. The border frames a scrollwork and floral design woven in white at the center, the initials embroidered below and to the right. a. There are small, light, brown stains in the lower right section. b. A cloth tag with a blue embroidered logo is stitched into the back, right edge. The logo depicts an outline of an owl over a stylized Star of David formed from an inverted, outlined triangle laid over a solid blue triangle. The cloth is slightly discolored with faint brown staining throughout. d. The top and bottom areas, especially near the initials are heavily stained with brown and yellow spots. e. There are small, light, brown stains along the center of the right edge. f. There are small, light, brown stains along the right side. a. front, offcenter lower right, embroidered, white thread : HS [Hedwig Sanders] b. front, offcenter lower right, embroidered, white thread : HS [Hedwig Sanders] c. front, offcenter lower right, embroidered, white thread : HS [Hedwig Sanders] d. front, offcenter lower right, embroidered, white thread : HS [Hedwig Sanders] e. front, offcenter lower right, embroidered, white thread : HS [Hedwig Sanders] f. front, offcenter lower right, embroidered, white thread : HS [Hedwig Sanders]
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a: Height: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm) | Width: 13.500 inches (34.29 cm) b: Height: 14.500 inches (36.83 cm) | Width: 13.750 inches (34.925 cm) c: Height: 14.250 inches (36.195 cm) | Width: 13.560 inches (34.442 cm) d: Height: 14.500 inches (36.83 cm) | Width: 13.630 inches (34.62 cm) e: Height: 14.000 inches (35.56 cm) | Width: 13.750 inches (34.925 cm) f: Height: 14.250 inches (36.195 cm) | Width: 13.500 inches (34.29 cm)
Set of six monogrammed, blue and white napkins that survived Kristallnacht and were brought with Richard and Hedwig Sanders Neu when they immigrated to the United States with their daughter, Beatrice (later Melov) in late 1938. The napkins were originally part of Hedwig’s trousseau, and among the possessions that the Neu family packed in preparation for their emigration from Partenheim, Germany, in late 1938. Before they departed for the United States, they were staying with Beatrice’s grandmother, whose home was ransacked by the German authorities during Kristallnacht, November 9-10. Hedwig, Beatrice, and her grandmother hid in the garden, while Richard hid elsewhere. Many of the packed possessions were badly damaged during the attack, and some of those that survived, like several of these napkins, were stained by iodine from broken medicine bottles that they had originally been wrapped around. After several days in hiding, Richard returned once it seemed safe to do so.
Napkins with blue scrollwork design and Hedwig Sanders Neu's initials that survived Kristallnacht