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,
All

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