P.69 - Archive of the Levy family, from Essen, Germany, 1863-1993

P.69 - Archive of the Levy family, from Essen, Germany, 1863-1993 About the Levy family: Dr. Ernst Levy (b.1872) was the eldest son of physician Dr. Hermann Levy (b. 1838) and his wife Emma, née Hirschland (b. 1847). Dr. Ernst Levy and his wife, the former Martha Ruthenburg (b. 1878) lived in Essen, Germany, where Dr. Levy was a general practitioner and researcher. They had four children, Hermann (b. 1906), Rudolf (b. 1908), Hans (b. 1911) and Eva (b. 1914). A year after the rise of nazism, Hermann Levy, a lawyer by training, went to study a new career in Paris, France, since he was banned from practicing his profession in Germany. At the end of 1935 he emigrated to Argentina, and, within four years, the rest of the family followed him to Buenos Aires where they all set up a new existence. Dr. Ernst Levy had two brothers: Fritz Levy (b. 1874), a well-known lawyer, and Heinz (b. 1876), who was a trade representative. Fritz Levy died of natural causes in 1936. His wife Frida, née Stern, was deported to Riga in January 1942 and Heinz Levy and his wife Grete, née Aronstein, were deported to Minsk in November 1941. All three perished. Fritz and Frida Levy's four children managed to escape to Sweden and Palestine. Apparently, Heinz and Grete had no children. Dr. Ernst and Martha Levy died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1945 and 1953, respectively. The collection consists of 126 files. It was donated to Yad Vashem in 2009 by Ernesto Levy from Buenos Aires, Argentina, one of the grandsons of Dr. Ernst Levy. It contains different types of documentation, mostly private papers of the extended Levy family from the pre-WW I, pre-WWII and post-WWII periods. The papers cover three generations of the Levy family, from Dr. Hermann Levy, his eldest son Dr. Ernst Levy to his eldest grandson Hermann (Germán) Levy. The core of the collection is the private correspondence between members of the nuclear and extended Levy family, dating from 1932 until 1967. There are also letters to and from friends and acquaintances, who, after the rise of nazism in Germany, were scattered across four continents. The letters are mostly written in German, some in French and English. They are both handwritten and typed. Dr. Ernst Levy and his wife Martha kept copies of most of the letters they wrote. There are, in addition, personal documents such as school reports, passports, and a number of miscellaneous items ranging from libretti to family poetry, sketches, recipes and photographs. Outstanding documentation in the collection: - Dr. Hermann Levy's doctoral thesis, 06/08/1863, file 1. - Field post letter from Albert Hirschland to his father Salomon Hirschland, 1864, file 4. - Letters of Dr. Hermann Levy to Emma Hirschland, 03/12/1869-27/03/1871, file 4. - Script of presentation of Dr. Ernst Levy's voyage to East Asia, 1895, file 5. - Letters and telegrams between Dr. Ernst and Martha Levy, 1906-1908, file 7. - Gold bond certificate of Dr. Ernst Levy, 1916, file 8. - Documents related to Dr. Ernst and Martha Levy's honeymoon in Switzerland and Italy, 1904, file 12. - Medical publications and special prints of Dr. Ernst Levy's articles,1895-1922, files 16 and 17. - Dr. Ernst Levy's Red Cross armband from the WWI period, 1917, file 25. - Complete edition of Dr. Ernst Levy's publications, silver wedding present to Martha Levy, 07/09/27, file 26. - Correspondence of the Levy family, 1932-1967, files 37-90. - Last letters before the farewell letter of Heinz and Grete Levy, 21/10/1941 and 25/10/1941, file 69. - Transcription of a letter by Hanna Herz, née Levy, dated 22/05/1942 concerning the deportation of her mother Frida Levy on 23/01/1942. - Hermann Levy's school reports and certificates; university documents, 1912-1924, files 91-92. - Photocopy of Hermann Levy's dismissal document, 31/05/33, file 92. - ID cards and certificates of Dr.Ernst and Martha Levy and Heinz and Grete Levy, 1938-1939, file 102. - ID cards, passport and certificates of Hermann Levy, 1925-1934, file 103. - Brochure of Herzfeld & Levy S.A., 1980s, file 107. - Greeting cards and telegrams on the occasion of Hermann and Lotte Levy's engagement and wedding, in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay, respectively, 1944, files 109-110. - Hermann Levy's wallet containing letters dating from his childhood, a picture of the Essen synagogue, a poem and more, 1915-48, file 115. - Diplomas given to Hermann Levy by the Jewish National Fund and United Israel Appeal, 1966-93, file 117. - Family poetry, children's letters, presents of Levy siblings to their parents, 1886-1956, file 119. - Dr. Ernst Levy's last wish, a prescription block from the 1930s, pictures of the Essen synagogue and more, 1904-1981, file 120. - Papers related to the Dr. Ernst Levy's activities in the Essen Communal Health Committe and the Essen Jewish Relief Fund, 1903-1918, file 121. - Marta Levy's writings about nutrition and the use of cook boxes; notes for presentations on the topic, 1908-1919, file 123.