Hubert Fritz and Liesette Nassau: personal papers

This material is held atThe Wiener Holocaust Library

Reference
- GB 1556 WL1675
Dates of Creation
- 1926-1996
Name of Creator
- Nassau - Hubert Fritz Israel - b 1909 | Nassau - Liesette - b 1919 - née Pollak
  Nassau - Liesette - b 1919 - née Pollak
Language of Material
- German English Hebrew French
Physical Description
- 1 box

Scope and Content

This collection documents the lives of Hubert Fritz and Liesette Nassau, an Austrian Jewish couple who emigrated to England in 1939. Contains correspondence relating to their efforts to emigrate and start a new life in England, gaining new qualifications and work as well as Hubert Nassau's indemnification claim and interest in sports. Personal papers include documents (1675/1/1-42) - certificates of qualifications gained in Austria and the UK, Heimatscheine (certificates of residence), birth and medical certificates, certificate of naturalisation, marriage certificate, passports, driving licence, identity cards and 'Postausweiskarte'; and correspondence (1675/2) - including letters from Gurs concentration camp (1675/2/52-53), Pyrenees, France. Also included are a watercolour and drawing of Hubert Nassau, two photo albums (see WL Photo archive), loose photographs as well as pamphlets and press cutting on wine growing (1675/3).

Administrative / Biographical History

Hubert Fritz Israel Nassau was born on 14 January 1909 in Vienna, Austria and worked as a vineyard farmer. Liesette Pollak, born on 13 June 1919 in Vienna, daughter of Heinrich Pollak and Antonia (nee Diamant), was self-employed and part owner of Pollak and Steiner in Vienna. Both emigrated to England in 1939. They got married in London in 1940. After obtaining a qualification in electrical engineering in 1949, Hubert Nassau worked for British Power Transformer Company Limited and Foster Transformers & Switchgear Limited. He became associate member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, London in 1954 and lectured at Poplar Technical College from 1956 and Wimbledon Technical College from 1958. Later he became an associate of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York. He started a Batchelor degree in physics at the University of London in 1959.