Wolf and Schlesinger families papers

Rudolf Wolf (1907-2005) was born in Frankfurt, Germany to Hermann (1877-1970) and Ella (born Gisella Moser, 1886-1972) Wolf. He had one brother, Ernst (b. 1912). His father Hermann served in the German Army during World War I, and worked as a draftsman. Rudolf studied law in Munich, but was kicked out for being Jewish. He then studied to become an architect. Facing increased Nazi persecution, the family all began to make plans to emigrate from Germany. Rudolf immigrated to the United States in 1938. He settled in Los Angeles, California and worked as an architect. Rudolf knew Gretel from Frankfurt, and they married in 1942. His mother and father faced increasing difficulties emigrating from Germany. His father, Hermann, left Frankfurt for Milan, Italy in 1938 and then went to Cuba in 1939. He came to the United States in 1941. Ella remained in Germany until 1940 when she left by Trans-Siberian rail through Shanghai, China. She booked passage to the United States in September, 1940 on the S.S. Brasil Maru via Yokohama, Japan. Rudolf’s grandmother, Mathilde Moser (b. 1855), also immigrated to the United States, and his brother immigrated to England. Gretel Schlesinger Wolf (born Gretel Schlesinger, 1909-2004) was born in Frankfurt to Paul (1872-1955) and Alice (née Schmidt, 1887-1973) Schlesinger. She had two brothers, Hans (later John Slade, b. 1908) and Fritz (later Fred Slade, 1918-1974). She married Leonard Moser (b. 1899) in 1926. They immigrated to the United States on the S.S. Statendam in 1938. They divorced in 1942, and she married Rudolf the same year. Gretel’s parents, Paul and Alice, and her brothers Fritz and Hans all immigrated to the United States. The collection documents the pre-war lives of Rudolf Wolf and Gretel Schlesinger Wolf and their families in Frankfurt, Germany, as well as their immigration and post-war experiences in the United States. Included are biographical materials such as identification papers, diaries, and genealogical research; pre-war correspondence along with war-time letters written from family and friends in Germany as well as those who fled; immigration papers; restitution papers; and pre-war and post-war photographs of family and friends in Frankfurt and the United States. The biographical materials primarily contain identification papers and genealogy research. The identification papers include passports, driver’s licenses, marriage and death certificates, estate documents, and employment and education papers. There are also two pre-war diaries of Gretel Wolf, and undated writings that were likely authored by Rudolf Wolf. The genealogy papers include family trees, collected research, and correspondence with distant relatives related to the Wolf, Moser, and Schlesinger families. The correspondence series primarily contains the correspondence of Ella Wolf, Hermann Wolf, Gretel Wolf, and Rudolf Wolf. The bulk of the material belongs to Rudolf Wolf, and includes pre-war correspondence along with war-time letters written from family and friends in Germany as well as those who fled. There are also letters from Ella and Hermann Wolf together in Frankfurt, and separately after they were split up early in the war. The majority of the letters from Ella were written from Frankfurt. The letters from Hermann document his flight from Frankfurt to Milan, Italy and Cuba before his immigration to the United States. There is also correspondence between Rudolf and Gretel from 1942, as well as post-war letters from 1947. Additionally, there are letters from relatives and condolence letters regarding his mother’s death in 1972. All correspondence is arranged by recipient. The correspondence of Rudolf Wolf also contain letters sent to and received by Gretel Wolf. The immigration papers include immigration and naturalization papers for Ella Wolf, Gretel Wolf, and Hermann Wolf. There are also documents related to efforts by Rudolf Wolf to help his friends Ernst Kahn and Hilde Schröder immigrate to the United States. The restitution papers include claims paperwork of Rudolf Wolf, pension documents of Ella and Hermann Wolf, and German property compensation claims filed by Hans Schlesinger (John Slade). The photographs chiefly contain family and personal photographs of the Wolf, Moser, and Schlesinger families in Frankfurt, Germany. Included are portraits, childhood photographs, and casual photographs of friends and relatives. There are also vacation photographs, photograph postcards of pre-war Frankfurt, and post-war photographs of family life in the United States. The printed material contains two copies of Aufbau newspaper; a commemorative booklet from the German national shooting competition (Deutsche Bundesschiessen), held in Frankfurt in 1887; a German refugee etiquette card; and a passenger list from the S.S. Europa.