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.