Guide to the Records of the HICEM Office in Prague, 1927-1939, RG 245.10

Processed by YIVO Archivists, 1950s-1970s. Additional processing by Gunnar Berg with the assistance of a grant from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, New York.

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
Email: archives@yivo.cjh.org
URL: http://www.yivo.org

Machine-readable finding aid created by YIVO Archivist Gunnar M. Berg as a Wordperfect document. November 1997 with the assistance of a grant from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). Electronic finding aid converted to EAD 1.0 by Dianne Ritchey Oummia. November 2001. EAD finding aid customized in ARCHON in 2012. Description is in English.

Collection Overview

Title: Guide to the Records of the HICEM Office in Prague, 1927-1939, RG 245.10

ID: RG 245.10 FA

Extent: 5.3 Linear Feet. More info below.

Arrangement:

Series I and part of Series II is arranged by subject and in chronological order within. Series III is arranged alphabetically by last name.

The records are divided into three series as follows:

Series I: Minutes of National Committee Meetings, 1934-1937

Series II: Correspondence of the HICEM-Prague office, 1927-1939

Series III: Refugee Case Files, 1936-1939

Abstract

Collection consists of records of the HICEM Office in Prague, documenting efforts to assist Jewish refugees from Czechoslovakia. Records include minutes of National Committee Meetings, correspondence from the HICEM office, including with various aid societies, and extensive individual refugee case files.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The bulk of the collection consists of files of Marie Schmolka, a HICEM representative, who was also involved with the National Committee and with a number of German-Jewish immigrant groups. Marie Schmolka was killed by Gestapo agents in the fall of 1939 several weeks after she returned from a HICEM sponsored immigration conference in Paris.

The records contain minutes from the National Committee for Refugees Coming From Germany, correspondence of the HICEM Prague office concerning organizational activities and regarding assistance of refugees, and refugee case files.

Many topics are covered in this collection, especially assistance provided to refugees and conferences concerning them, victims of applications of the Nuremberg Laws in Czechoslovakia and Austria, dealings with authorities concerning identity papers, and coordination of activities among aid organizations.

The materials are written in various languages, principally Czech, German, English and French.

Historical Note

The HICEM Office in Prague was established in 1936 to facilitate relief for the growing mass of German-Jewish refugees in Czechoslovakia. The HICEM office was the successor to the National Committee for Refugees Coming From Germany which coordinated relief work from 1934 to 1936. The National Committee sought to coordinate the activities of the various member groups and present a single voice when dealing with Czech government officials and with the European High Commissioner for Refugees.

Administrative Information

Alternate Extent Statement: 5 ft, 3 inches; 7 microfilm reels (MKM 15.135 - MKM 15.141), 12 five inch legal boxes and 1 three inch box

Access Restrictions: The records are open to researchers with permission of and by appointment with the Chief Archivist. For more information contact the Chief Archivist at archives@yivo.cjh.org.

Use Restrictions: There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact email: archives@yivo.cjh.org

Acquisition Source: Collection was received in 1955 from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, then known as the United HIAS Service.

Original/Copies Note:

Microfilm Information:

This collection is on 9 reels of microfilm, MKM 15.135-15.143

MKM 15.135 Folders: 1 - 8

MKM 15.136 Folders: 8 - 21

MKM 15.137 Folders: 21 - 30

MKM 15.138 Folders: 31 - 42

MKM 15.139 Folders: 43 - 54

MKM 15.140 Folders: 54 - 69

MKM 15.141 Folders: 70 - 86

MKM 15.142 Folders: 86 - 101

MKM 15.143 Folder: 102

Related Materials: This collection is a Subgroup of RG 245.

Preferred Citation: Published citations should take the following form:Identification of item, date (if known); Records of the HICEM Office in Prague; RG 245.10; box number; folder number; YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.

Finding Aid Revision History: Originally arranged in 1979 as Record Group 245.4, Series XXIX, with the assistance of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Inventory prepared in 1997 with the assistance of a grant from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, New York

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

Series 1: Series I: Minutes of National Committee Meetings, 1934-1937,
Series 2: Series II: Correspondence of the HICEM-Prague office,,
Folder 3: Series III: Refugee Case Files,,
Series 4: ADDENDUM TO SERIES III

Series I: Minutes of National Committee Meetings, 1934-1937

Abbreviated minutes of the weekly meetings of the National Committee for Refugees Coming From Germany.. This group consisted of representatives from the Jewish Aid Committee, the Social-Democratic Refugee Organization, the German Immigrant Aid Committee, the Union of Private Aid Groups and the Democratic Refugee Organization. There are also minutes from meetings of a Childrens Aid subcommittee.

Topics covered in the minutes included: reports from several European conferences on refugees; securing identity papers for stateless refugees; dealings with police authorities regarding victims of the application of the Nuremberg Laws in Germany and similar laws in Czechoslovakia and Austria.

Principal correspondents are Maria Schmolka (Director of the Prague office) and Hanna Steiner.

Arrangement: Aerranged chronologically in forward order.

Folder 1: Abbreviated minutes of weekly meetings of the National Committee of Jewish-Aid Organizations (Prague). July 4, 1934 - July 14, 1937

Series II: Correspondence of the HICEM-Prague office,

Administrative reports and correspondence regarding: HICEM office operations; efforts to secure lodging, food distribution and visa requests for arriving refugees; activities of other groups in Czechoslovakia (e.g., Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO), Trans-Carpathian Jewish Aid Comittee, Carpatho-Russian Aid Committee, Hilfsverein der Deutschen Juden (Germany), the South German Party and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom); European conferences with the International Labor Bureau, Geneva and the High Commissioner for Refugees.

Correspondence with: Czech goverment agencies; American consulate in Prague; HICEM, Paris; High Commission of the League of Nations for Refugees Coming From Germany; AJDC, Mukacevo; Government of New Zealand; various refugee organizations. Correspondence of the National Committee. HICEM financial reports and bookkeeping records.

Arrangement: Folders 5, 7, 9, 10, and 11 have contents arranged chronologically in forward order.

Folder 2: Correspondence between the HICEM office in Prague and individuals, other aid organizations, government offices and foreign consulates [many letters in Czech] Jan. 17 - Dec. 15, 1938
Folder 3: Copies of correspondence from HICEM (Prague) Feb. 26 - Aug. 3, 1938
Folder 4: Circulating memoranda, from HICEM (Paris) to its affiliates, explaining immigration requirements for various countries May 19, 1927 - Jan. 12, 1939
Folder 5: Materials relating to various international refugee conferences Jan. 16, 1935 - Dec. 28, 1937
Folder 6: Reports and correspondence regarding aid activities of various Czech groups Jan. 19, 1938 - Dec. 30, 1939.
Folder 7: Two sets of papers: 1) Minutes of meetings of HICEM, its subcommittees and the Women's committee of the Carpathian-Russia Aid Committee and, 2) Correspondence addressed to local town Women's International Zionist Organizationcommittees regarding clothing drives: This folder covers the period June 27, 1935 - April 5, 1937 , Dec. 15, 1937 - Oct. 11,1938
Folder 8: - Copies of League of Nations' documentation and related correspondence and reports 1936-1938
Folder 9: Correspondence (some handwritten) to Hanna Steiner (Prague office) from Mukcevo (Czechoslovak Republic) offices of the American Joint Reconstruction Foundation and the Orphans-Assistance Society of Trans-Carpathian Russia, regarding emigration out of the Czechoslovak Republic Dec. 20, 1931 - Oct. 18, 1938
Folder 10: Correspondence and legal depositions regarding a trial of a Dr. Karel Feitenhansl May 27, 1932 - Jan. 22, 1939
Folder 11: Daily lists of refugees being summoned by the HICEM office in Prague, to obtain emigration affidavits and consular interviews Jan. 31, 1939 - Mar. 8, 1939.
Folder 12: [This folder not microfilmed]
Folder 13: Individual emigration expense sheets for specific refugees as well as annual summaries for the Prague office 1936 - 1939
Folder 14: Correspondence with various organizations and individuals in the Czechoslovak Republic, regarding a milk distribution program for refugee children Nov. 27, 1936 - Dec. 29, 1937
Folder 15: Correspondence between Prague and various individuals and banks in the Czechoslovak Republic regarding the establishment of an orphans' shelter in the city of Mukacevo (Trans-Carpathian Russia) and setting up bank accounts in various cities May 15, 1936 - Mar. 17, 1937
Folder 16: Personal correspondence from prospective emigrants and individual expense sheets from refugees being helped by HICEM Mar. 3, 1937 - May 6, 1938
Folder 17: Accounting ledger sheets and correspondence regarding expenses for individual refugees (some grouping by town of origin) June 30, 1937 - Mar. 31, 1938
Folder 18: Receipts and accounting correspondence for emigration travel expenses May 25, 1936 - Dec. 31, 1937
Folder 19: Idem Jan. 3 - Mar. 30, 1938
Folder 20: Pages from a personal address book; pages from a personal diary with handwritten daily entries of activities and people contacted;stenographic notes from an unknown meeting [authors unknown]. 1938

Series III: Refugee Case Files,

This series consists of the central files of dossiers of refugees assisted by the HICEM Prague Committee. They are divided into two groups [distinction unknown]: a main body and an Addendum. This listing of individuals was compiled in 1979.

Each file can consist of personal correspondence between the refugee and the Committee, official correspondence with government officials, affidavits from sponsors in the destination country and application forms.

Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by refugee last name.

Folder 21: Ab-Ap
Folder 22: Ar-Au
Folder 23: Bac-Bal
Folder 24: Ban-Bay
Folder 25: Be-Bi
Folder 26: Bl-Bo
Folder 27: Bra-Bru
Folder 28: Bu-By
Folder 29: Ca-Cz
Folder 30: Da-Dy
Folder 31: Eb-Ei
Folder 32: Ek-Er
Folder 33: Fa-Fe
Folder 34: Fi-Fr
Folder 35: Fri-Fro
Folder 36: Fu-Fy
Folder 37: Ga-Ge
Folder 38: Gi-Gl
Folder 39: Gl-Gr
Folder 40: Gud-Guy
Folder 41: Haa-Hah
Folder 42: Haj-Hav
Folder 43: Hec-Hel
Folder 44: Ha-He
Folder 45: Hi-Hl
Folder 46: Hoc-Hor
Folder 47: Hub-Hut
Folder 48: Il-Iz
Folder 49: Ja-Ju
Folder 50: Kaf-Kas
Folder 51: Kat-Kau
Folder 52: Ke-Kl
Folder 53: Kl-Ko
Folder 54: Kohn, A-Kohn, H
Folder 55: Kohn, I-Kohn, W
Folder 56: Koh-Koz
Folder 57: Krak-Krau
Folder 58: Kre-Krz
Folder 59: Kub-Kut
Folder 60: Lab-Lau
Folder 61: Leb-Lem
Folder 62: Len-Lew
Folder 63: Lib-Lit
Folder 64: Lob-Lop
Folder 65: Lo-Lu
Folder 66: Mag-Man
Folder 67: Mar-May
Folder 68: Med-Mey
Folder 69: Mi-Mo
Folder 70: Mu-My
Folder 71: Na-Ne
Folder 72: Neu-Neul
Folder 73: Ne-Nu
Folder 74: Ob-Ot
Folder 75: Pa-Ph
Folder 76: Pi-Po
Folder 77: Po-Pu
Folder 78: Qua-Qui
Folder 79: Rab-Raw
Folder 80: Rea-Rei
Folder 81: Rei-Reu
Folder 82: Ri-Ro
Folder 83: Ro-Ry
Folder 84: Sa-Sc
Folder 85: Sc-Se
Folder 86: Si-Sk
Folder 87: Sl-So
Folder 88: Sp-Sr
Folder 89: St-Sz
Folder 90: Ta-Vo
Folder 91: Wa-We
Folder 92: We-Wr
Folder 93: Ya-Zw

ADDENDUM TO SERIES III

Folder 94: Ad-Fu
Folder 95: Ga-Hu
Folder 96: Ka-Kw
Folder 97: La-Os
Folder 98: Pa-Ry
Folder 99: Sa-Sc
Folder 100: Se-Sz
Folder 101: Ta-Zy
Folder 102: Pages from five ledger books 1936-1939