Becker family papers
1989.1002
Finding aid prepared by Judith Janec
Tauber Holocaust Library
JFCS Holocaust Center
2245 Post Street
San Francisco, CA, 94115
415-449-3717
tauberholocaustlibrary@jfcs.org
Title: Becker family papers
Identifier/Call Number: 1989.1002
Contributing Institution:
Tauber Holocaust Library
Language of Material:
Multiple languages
Container: Archives Box 6
Physical Description:
1.0 Folder(s)
Date: 1939-1941, 1945
Language of Materials note: Correspondence is in Polish and German. Receipts are in English. English translations are available for some of the Polish
and German material.
Abstract: The Becker family papers are comprised of family correspondence during the period 1939-1941, including letters and postcards
sent from the Warsaw and Lodz ghettos from some members of the Becker family to family members living in the United States.
Creator:
Becker family
Biographical Information
Before the invasion and occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Becker family lived in Lodz, Poland.
Martin Becker (1917-2001) attended the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and later studied economics at Carleton College,
Northfield, MN. At the time of Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, Martin was living in New York, where
he had an uncle who owned a bakery. His mother, who had been visiting him earlier from Poland, was at sea, returning to Poland.
Unable to reach Poland, his mother was rerouted and returned to the United States, where she spent the rest of her life. Family
members Abraham, Tadek and Lolek remained behind and were trapped in Nazi-occupied Poland. Their home was confiscated by authorities;
they were forced to move to the Warsaw Ghetto.
Martin registered for the US military draft, and received military intelligence training at Camp Ritchie, Maryland. He served
in Europe during the war, and entered Dachau concentration camp in April 1945. Towards the end of the war, he was as an interrogator
of German suspects for war crimes trials.
According to a note included in the file by Martin Becker, donor of the collection, his father and brothers perished at Treblinka
death camp.
Conditions Governing Access note
There are no restrictions to access for this collection.
Conditions Governing Use note
There are no restrictions to use for this collection.
Scope and Contents note
This collection is comprised of correspondence – mostly postcards, but some letters and a telegram – sent primarily from members
of the Becker family still living in Europe to other family members living in the United States and Holland during the period
from November 1939 until late 1941. The postcards and letters document the desperate situation of those left in Poland. They
illustrate the difficulties of escape and the great impediments families faced in trying to rescue family members. Several
postcards contain heart-breaking pleas for assistance in obtaining transit visas and papers, and awareness of an uncertain
future.
Also included are postal return receipts, and receipts for food packages sent to family members in Warsaw, Krosniewice and
Kutno, Pola
Preferred Citation note
Becker Family papers - 1989.1002, Tauber Holocaust Library - JFCS Holocaust Center, San Francisco, California
Related Archival Materials note
Video oral histories of Martin Becker were conducted on May 24, 1993 and July 14, 1993, and are available for viewing upon
request.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Becker, Abraham
Becker, Lolek
Becker, Tadek
Family papers -- Poland
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Poland -- Lodz
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Poland -- Warsaw
Jewish families -- Poland
Jews -- Persecutions -- Poland -- Lodz
Jews -- Persecutions -- Poland -- Warsaw
Lodz (Poland)
Postcards -- Poland
Receipts -- Poland
Warsaw (Poland)
World War, 1939-1945 -- Civilian relief -- Poland
World War, 1939-1945 -- Lodz
World War, 1939-1945 -- Warsaw.
Postcards
1939-1941
Language of Material:
Polish
Postcards to Z. Becker
1939-1941
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 January 12
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 February 2
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Frajdla Harbszlazk, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 February 3
Language of Material:
German
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from J. Dancygier, Krosniewice, Poland.
1941 March 3
Language of Material:
German
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 March 16
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from J. Dancyger, Krosniewice.
1941 April 23
Language of Material:
German
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 May 21
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 May 21
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Frajdla Harbszlazk, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 June 6
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from D. Beker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 June 6
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Dancyger, Krosniewice, Poland.
1941 July 24
Language of Material:
German
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Beker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 September 7
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Beker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 September 10
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Beker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 September 16
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, from Dancyger, Krosniewiece, Poland.
1941 October 7
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker postcard, Laurelton, NY from Z. Kaufman, Warsaw, Poland
1941 October 18
Language of Material:
German
Postcards to M. Becker
1939-1941
Language of Material:
Polish
Martin Becker Postcard, Northfield, Minnesota from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland.
1940 January 18
Language of Material:
Polish
Martin Becker postcard, Northfield, Minnesota from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland.
1940 February 28
Language of Material:
Polish
Martin Becker postcard, Northfield, Minnesota from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland.
1940 [?] February 21
Language of Material:
Polish
Martin Becker postcard, Paterson, New Jersey, from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 August 12
Language of Material:
Polish
Other Postcards
1939-1941
Language of Material:
Polish
M. Rajchcaja postcard, Amsterdam, Holland from Abraham Becker, Warsaw, Poland.
1940 February 28
Language of Material:
Polish
Kaufman's Bakery postcard, Buffalo, New York from Lodz Ghetto.
1940 September 22
Language of Material:
German
Letters
1939-1941
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Becker letter, London, England from A.B. Neumann, Budapest, Hungary.
1939 November 29
Language of Material:
Polish
Zelda Beker letter, no address, from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, Poland.
1940 April 16
Language of Material:
Polish
Letter from Tadek Beker, Warsaw, no addressee
1940 July
Language of Material:
Polish
Letter from Glowno, Poland. Addressee and author unknown.
1940 September 22
Language of Material:
Polish
S. Kaufman letter, Laurelton, New York from L. Kaufman, Warsaw, Poland.
1941 January 8
Language of Material:
German
Zelda Becker letter from J. Danziger, Korsniewiece, Poland.
1941 March 10
Language of Material:
German
Letter, addressee, author and location unknown.
1941 July 10
Language of Material:
Polish
Telegram
1940-03-13
Language of Material:
English
Zelda Beker telgram, London, England from Neumann.
1940 March 13
Language of Material:
English
Receipts
1940-1941
Language of Material:
English
creator:
Becker family
Zelda Beker Foregin Food Parcel Service receipts, Laurelton, New York to Abraham Beker, Warsaw, Poland and Jozef Dancygier,
Krosniewice, Poland.
1940 November 15
Language of Material:
English
Mrs. S.D. Blutter Foreign Food Parcel Service receipt, Springfield Gardens, New York to Sztojme Grinbaum, Kutno, Poland.
1940 November 15
Language of Material:
Polish
Return Receipt from U.S. Postal Service for registered letter.
1940 October 15
Language of Material:
English
Return Receipt from US Postal Service for registered letter.
1941 January 7
Language of Material:
English
Folder Archives Box 6
Photograph taken by Martin K. Becker of watchtower overlooking the Offlag in Neukirchen, Germany
October 1945
Language of Material:
English
Scope and Contents note
The photograph note indicates that the camp was used to house war crimes suspects to be interrogated and classified for further
action by the United States Army. The soldier in the photoraph is an American military policeman.