Victor Herman papers, 1885-2001

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Summary

Creators:
Herman, Victor
Abstract:
Victor Herman (1915-1985) was an American national who became a political prisoner in the Soviet Union. The collection includes interviews, personal correspondence, writings, publications, photographs, and press clippings about Herman's life, including his imprisonment.
Extent:
4 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box, 1 videocassette, 2 optical disks, digital media (2.9 Linear Feet)
Language:
In English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Victor Herman papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes interviews, personal correspondence, writings, publications, photographs, and press clippings about Herman's life, including his imprisonment. Included are materials related to his memoir " Coming Out of the Ice: An Unexpected Life" (1979). The collection is primarily comprised of copies of documents and includes video recordings and digital materials. The bulk of the material is from 1915-1985, with a few documents from 1885 about Herman's father, Samuel, and correspondence from 2001.

Biographical / historical:

Victor Herman (1915-1985) was an American national who became a political prisoner in the Soviet Union. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he moved with his family to the Soviet Union at the age of 16 when his father, Samuel Herman, was employed by Ford Motor Company and transferred there to assist in the construction of the Gorky Automobile Factory in 1931.

While in the Soviet Union, Herman was recruited by the Soviet Air Force, where he trained in parachuting. In 1934, he achieved the world record for the highest parachute jump and gained recognition as the "Lindbergh of Russia." In 1938, during the Great Purge, he was accused of espionage and subsequently arrested. He spent nearly two decades in Gulag camps, primarily located in Siberia.

After his release, Herman, along with his wife and children, remained in the Soviet Union for an additional twenty years due to restrictions on their return to the United States. In 1976, the family was able to return to the U.S. Herman later authored a memoir titled "Coming Out of the Ice: An Unexpected Life" (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1979), detailing his experiences during this period.

Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2023.
Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Victor Herman papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
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