Prewar History and Jewish Life in Europe, 1897-1941 | Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust

This record group contains diverse documents illustrating general twentieth century European history and, in particular, various aspects of Jewish life in interwar Europe. Within this record group is the Georg Anker papers, which is comprised of photo albums depicting the First World War from the perspective of a German officer of Jewish descent. This collection is subdivided into photo albums depicting the various war-theaters where Georg Anker served, the photographs of which were taken in Russia, France, Latvia, Belgium, and in the regions of Eastern Europe.

Also within this record group is the interwar Polish quarterly publication, Sparwy Narodowosciowe (National Minorities Affairs); a publication by the Inter-American Jewish Conference, prepared by the Institute of Jewish Affairs in 1941; three streaming films on the prewar Jewish life in Eastern Europe, namely Czechoslovakia, Carpatho-Ruthenia, and Mukacevo; the personal collections of Masha Loen's and Dana Schwartz's family histories; and six volumes of the Polish census conducted in 1921 for the following Polish administrative units: the province of Lwów, Stanislawów, Tarnopol, Wolyn Nowgródek, and Wilno. These censuses are valuable historic sources for ethno-national, religious, economic, and socio-demographic composition for the six Polish provinces (Wojewodztwa). The Polish census of 1921 further provides unprecedented, valuable information on vernacular language, industrial, commercial, educational, gender, and other aspects of the multifaceted profile of the population.

Materials in this record group include photographs (including daguerrotypes), photo albums, official governmental publications, Polish censuses, personal recollections, postcards, maps, correspondence, and periodicals, all of which relate to multifaceted life of Jewish communities in Europe. Materials are digitized.