United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
George Lieber (1926-1963) was born Georg Eisenstein on July 16, 1926 in Vienna, Austria to Elsa Lieber and René Eisenstein (1894-1968). His mother, Elsa Lieber (nicknamed Liesl, 1899-1996), was born Elsa Löw on January 28, 1899 in Döbling, Austria to Joseph Löw (1857-1949) and Adelheid Löw (née Klinger, 1863-1941). George had a twin brother, Paul Eisenstein (1926-1930?), and an older brother, Peter Eisenstein (1923-1986). Elsa and René married on May 18, 1920. In 1929, the family moved to Brussels, Belgium, and in 1933 Elsa and René divorced. Elsa then married Edmund Lieber (born Zygmunt Lieber, nicknamed Muk, May 24,1895-1961). He had one child from his previous marriage: Charles Lieber (1921-2016). George’s older brother Peter attended boarding school in Belgium, and Charles attended boarding school in England. Shortly before Germany invaded and occupied Belgium in May 1940 the family was warned they should leave the country. Elsa, Edmund, and George fled by car to the Pyrenees and went to Lisbon, Portugal. In August 1941, they left Europe for Lourenço Marques (Maputo, Mozambique) in Portuguese East Africa. George attended school in Johannesburg, South Africa and enlisted with a British colonial army, the King’s African Rifles, Pioneer Corps unit, in March 1945 in Nairobi. He was stationed in Kenya where Italian prisoners-of-war were held. George was discharged in August 1947. He immigrated to the United States aboard the SS African Dawn on October 1, 1947. George settled in New York and attended New York University. He met Dolores Heyman at school, and they married in 1953. The couple had one daughter Harriet (b. 1960). George later worked as editor of Free Europe, a publication distributed by the CIA. George’s mother Elsa and stepfather Edmund immigrated to the United States in late 1945. During the trip, Elsa became ill with typhoid, and had to disembark in Trinidad where she recovered in a hospital before continuing to the United States. Elsa’s father, Joseph, immigrated to the United States in 1946 George’s father René and his brother Peter were imprisoned in a detention camp in Belgium during the war. They escaped with help from the local population, and survived the war with René’s girlfriend Jeanne Veraart at her family’s farm. Peter later briefly lived in Israel, and then lived with his father in Waterloo, Belgium where they ran a business together.
Copyright Holder: Ms. Harriet Lieber
boxes oversize boxes oversize folders 3 3 5
The collection is arranged as two series. Series 1. Biographical material, 1870-1968 Series 2. Photographs, 1912-1962
The Lieber and Löw families papers document the prewar experiences of George Lieber, originally of Vienna, Austra, and his family in Vienna, and Brussels, Belgium; the family’s wartime emigration from Europe to Lourenço Marques (Maputo, Mozambique) in 1941; and immigrations to the United States in 1945-1947. The bulk of the collection consists of biographical material, including identification papers, immigration records, and a small amount of correspondence; and photographs, including prints and annotated photograph albums. Series 1. Biographical material primarily consists of identification papers, immigration documentation, and a small amount of correspondence. Identification papers include passports, marriage certificates, divorce papers, school records, and material related to George’s service with the King’s African Rifles, Pioneer Corps unit in Africa. Immigration records include paperwork regarding the family’s immigration to Africa in 1941, Elsa and Edmund Lieber’s immigration to the United States in 1945 and George’s immigration to the United States in 1947. The bulk of the correspondence are World War I-era postcards and a few World War II-era family letters. Series 2. Photographs primarily consists of depictions of prewar family life in Vienna and Brussels, vacations in various parts of Europe, and wartime life in Africa. Depictions include George’s family with his father René Eisenstein, his stepfather Edmund, candids of his mother Elsa, her parents Adelheid and Joseph Löw, and various family members and friends. Wartime photographs include depictions of life in Lourenço Marques, and travel within the continent. The large green photograph album includes photographs taken with a relative of Haile Selassie I (likely Amha Selassie), the former emperor of Ethiopia, whom they were friendly with.
Lieber and Löw families papers