P.55 - Personal Papers of Dr. Heinz E.Samson

P.55 - Personal Archive of Dr. Heinz E. Samson In the collection there are files from the private archive of Dr. Heinz E. Samson. Description of the collection: The documentation deals with a part of the estate of the Samson family, originally from the city of Norden in Northern Germany. There is pre-war documentation on tax issues and the assets of the Samson family, pre- and postwar correspondence with German authorities, personal documents and certificates, documents on the restoration of the Norden Jewish cemetery supported by the Samson family after WW II, the dedication of a memorial on the Norden Jewish cemetery, charity work, brochures and magazines related to the history of the Norden Jews. About Dr. Heinz E. Samson: Dr. Heinz Ewald Samson was born on September 20, 1920 in Norden, East Frisia, Lower Saxony, Germany. His parents, Heinrich and Paula Samson, were owners of a large seed business in the city of Norden. Following the enactment of the Nuremberg Race Laws in 1935, Heinz was expelled from school at the age of 15 and thereby prevented from completing his studies. The family business was expropriated and Heinz's father was arrested and imprisoned on several occasions. In 1939, after threats from the Gestapo, Heinz left his family home in Norden with only ten Reichsmarks in his pocket. He made his way to England, where he waited for his family to join him. Tragically, Heinz's sister Gerda was deported to Auschwitz on October 24, 1942 and his parents were deported to Minsk on November 10, 1942, never to return. After settling in London, Heinz studied tool making at Vickers Armstrong. Later he became a member of the Royal Air Force and took part in the Battle of England. After the end of World War II he worked as a toolmaker. In 1950 he founded his own company, H.E. Samson Ltd. After initial difficulties, he managed to build up a large steelworks in London followed by companies in Birmingham, Sheffield, Swansea and Dublin (Ireland). Due to illness, Dr. Heinz E. Samson had to sell his company in 1988. He and his wife Editha moved to Switzerland. The couple engaged in social, cultural and charity activities. The Jerusalem College of Technology and a wing of the Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem are among the most outstanding projects Dr. Heinz E. Samson helped funding. He has also been a benefactor of Yad Vashem, the World Center for Holocaust Research, Documentation, Education and Commemoration. Dr. Heinz E. Samson died on September 3, 2009 in Switzerland. Outstanding documentation in the collection: - Correspondence between Heinrich Samson and the Norden tax authorities, tax documents, 1935-1944; - Tax audit report from 1935, balance sheets and documentation of Judenvermoegensabgabe (forced taxation), 1935-1941; - Business reports, 1937-1938; - Documentation of the forced sale of the Samson family and agricultural assets, 1939; - Financial account issued by SA Standarte I after the Kristallnacht riots; - Number and types of assets of the Samson family during the pre-war and war period; - Documentation regarding Samson family pre-war assets, including correspondence concerning restitution claims, 1925-1996 - Correspondence and documentation regarding the dispute concerning the ownership and donation of a grand piano in 1995, including provenance documentation,1914-1997; - Personal documents and certificates belonging to the Samson family, 1807-1956; - German passport issued to Heinz E. Samson, 1936; - Birth, death and marriage certificates of various family members, 1912-1950; - Inheritance documents, will, 1912-1950; - Family tree and lists of victims, including family members, 1935-1945; - Certificate regarding the expropriation of Samson family assets, 1942; - Correspondence between Dr. Heinz E. Samson and various institutions, private individuals, friends and acquaintances, mainly from the city of Norden, 1962-2003; - Documentation on the establishment of the Synagogenweg Working Group and its activities, 1985-1997; - Restoration of the Norden Jewish cemetery and dedication of the memorial, 1993-2003; - Establishment of a permanent exhibition regarding the history of the Norden Jewish community at the Ulrichsgymnasium in Norden, 1995; - Transcript of a speech delivered by Dr. Heinz E. Samson at the dedication of the cemetery memorial in 2003; - Brochures, magazines and other publications related to Holocaust commemoration in Norden and the East Frisia region, 1988-1994; - Newspaper clippings regarding activities in memory of the former Jewish community in Norden, and relations between Jews and Christians after World War II, 1984-2003; - Activities in memory of the disappeared Norden Jewish community, 1988-2003; - Visits of former Jewish residents of Norden to their hometown, 1986-1988; - Charity work of Dr. Heinz E. Samson in London, England, 1994-2003; - Events related to Jewish culture and heritage in Northern Germany, 1984-2003 - Dedication of the memorial on the Jewish cemetery, 2003.