United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Peter Prosaw (1912-1995) was born Pinkus Proszowski on April 14, 1912 in Łódź, Poland to Idel Proszowski and Chana Brum. He had one brother, Josef (b. 1921). After the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, Łódź was occupied by German troops on September 8. Peter and his brother were forced into the Łódź ghetto in February 1940. In August 1944 the brothers were deported to Auschwitz. Peter and Josef were forced-laborers in a coal mine, and after the evacuation of the Auschwitz camp system in January 1945, they survived a death march towards Buchenwald. After liberation they returned to Łódź. Peter reunited with Felicia Grunwald (later Phyllis Prosaw, b. 1922), whom he knew during the war, and was also a survivor of Auschwitz. They married on July 16, 1945 and went to the Düppel Center displaced persons camp in Berlin-Schlachtensee. Peter ran the orphanage in the DP camp and his wife managed the orphanage warehouse. They immigrated to the United States in 1947 aboard the SS Ernie Pyle, and settled in Flushing, NY. Peter and Phyllis had two daughters: Ann and Lillian. His brother Josef immigrated to Israel from Germany after the war.
Scrapbook entitled “Jewish D.P./In The UNRRA-Camp Team 1027/Berlin” created by Peter Prosaw (born Pinkus Proszowski), a survivor of Auschwitz originally from Łódź, Poland. Peter, who also had training as a graphic designer, ran the orphanage in the Düppel Center displaced persons camp in Berlin-Schlachtensee. The annotated scrapbook includes depictions of staff members, residents, buildings, schools, programs, and cultural activities. Many of the pages incorporate photograph collages as well as original documents. A separated blue cardboard cover with adhesive tape on binding is also included.
The scrapbook is housed in two oversize boxes.
oversize boxes 2
Peter Prosaw scrapbook Jewish D.P./In The UNRRA-Camp Team 1027/Berlin