UPDATE: Grunwald Family Photos Added to USHMM Collection
Post date: Dec 23, 2012 4:49:26 PM
During her July visit to Indianapolis, USHMM photo archivist Judy Cohen was delighted to see the number of Grunwald family photos that survived the Holocaust. Thanks to the efforts of the Grunwald's housekeeper, Anda, the photos survived the war and were then smuggled out of Czechloslovakia when Kurt and Frank escaped the communist regime. USHMM has an extensive photo archive which attempts to document not only experiences during the Holocaust, but also life experiences prior to this era. Very few pre-war photographs survived this tragic time period, so for Judy, the Grunwald's collection is truly amazing.
When Judy returned to Washington with Vilma's letter, she also took along nearly two dozen photographs from the collection to include in the Museum's photo archives. The photos were scanned and textual information was added to each photo's file to include background information on the photo, the individuals' in the photo and when possible, their fate during the Holocaust. The photos are then added to the extensive photo archives which can be searched at the Museum, and for more recent photographs, from remote locations as well.
To view the images, click here. Among the images, you can see Kurt and Vilma's engagement photo (above) and several photos that are not part of the film including the photo below, which was taken during a ski vacation in the mountains. Kurt is on the far left, next to his brother, Walter, who died before the war. Vilma is to the right of Walter, next to her brother, Frank Eisenstein, who escaped to America before the war. Vilma's uncle, Emil Herz, and the Grunwald's family housekeeper, Anda Duchanova are the other individuals in the photograph.
