us-005578-irn723302
type: RecordSet
biographical history: Hans Otto Kessler (later Dr. John Otto Kessler) was born in Vienna in 1928 to Alice Blanca Neuhut and Jakob Kessler. The family relocated to Baden, approximately thirty-five miles from Vienna when Hans (Hansi) was four-years old. His maternal grandfather retired from his role as the sales director of a light bulb company, and bought a hotel. Kessler lived in this hotel as a child where his mother cooked, and his father managed the expenses. Growing up, Kessler knew of his Jewish identity, but his family practiced Judaism socially rather than religiously. He was exposed to a variety of religions because his mother came from a predominantly Catholic family, and his maternal grandmother studied Buddhism. In 1938, shortly after the Nazis gained control of Austria, Kessler’s father was arrested and detained in Vienna. Kessler, along with his mother, and maternal grandmother, were baptized as Lutherans, potentially an effort of protection from Nazi control. Kessler’s mother, a resourceful woman who enjoyed reading English detective novels, used her language skills to secure a job in England. She received the position immediately, and managed to free her husband from prison. The Kesslers overcame the risky journey to England, narrowly escaping patrolmen at the border between Germany and Belgium. From Belgium, they boarded a ferry to England. In England, Kessler’s mother worked as a chef, and his father earned a living as a butler. Kessler assimilated and learned English at a boarding school near Sussex. John Kessler and his family immigrated to the United States in 1940. They lived in New York for one month. Kessler’s mother wanted to live in a warmer climate, and the family decided to relocate to Jacksonville, Florida. Kessler attended boarding school in Connecticut, and later moved to Jacksonville after his parents established themselves financially. Back in Vienna, Kessler’s grandparents could no longer manage the hotel, and felt threatened by Nazi control. They escaped…
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 1
has or had identifier: 2
has or had some members with language: silent
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn723302
scope and content: 15 rolls of trims from Lizzy Kessler's film collection.
title: Excerpts of films made by Lizzy Kessler (15 rolls)