Edith Rothschild: family papers

This collection contains the family papers of Edith Rothschild, a Jewish refugee who fled Nazi persecution in Frankfurt with her father Gustav Rothschild and sister Trude in 1939. Included are papers and correspondence with the German Jewish Aid Committee and the British Consulate relating to the family's planned emigration to England and the United States such as medical and tax clearance certificates and affidavit of support; correspondence from Martha Rothschild to her husband and children in England as well as restitution papers.

Edith Rothschild (born 1925) and her sister Trude (born 1924) grew up in Frankfurt am Main. They were the children of Gustav Rothschild (1879-1957), a merchant of musical instruments, and his wife Martha (née Lindheimer, 1898-c1942). Gustav was arrested in 1939 and released from concentration camp provided that he emigrated within 10 days. The family tried in vain to obtain visas to emigrate to the United States where they had a cousin, Anna Lindheimer, who provided an affidavit of support. In the end, travel permits were obtained for the daughters to go to England on a Kindertransport. Gustav also managed to flee the country and go to England where he was interned at Onchan internment camp on the Isle of Man in 1940/1941. His wife was to follow him but war broke out making any further emigrations impossible. Martha Rothschild was deported to a concentration camp in Poland in 1942 and perished. Trude started suffering from mental health problems since hearing about the fate of her mother, from which she never recovered. Edith trained as a dressmaker after she finished school.

Chronological

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Donated by Edith Rothschild

2010/11