Benesch and Reininger families collection

Documents and copy documents relating to Elisabeth Benesch (donor's mother), her parents Robert and Helena Benesch, and her grandparents Adolf and Emilie Gesmai. Includes a photograph depicting Helena and Robert Benesch in New York in front of their store in 1943, and three German passports, each stamped with red "J" marking bearers as Jews, issued to members of the Benesch family, dated February 18, 1938. Also includes a United States immigration Declaration of Intention of Oscar Reininger (donor's father). Of the eight children of Adolf and Emilie Gesnau, Steven Reininger’s grandparents, only two survived the Holocaust. Adolf and Emilie both died in Theresienstadt. Elisabeth Benesch, Steven's mother, and her parents Robert and Helena Benesch, lived in Vienna, where Robert Benesch had two leather goods stores. After the Anschluss in March 1938 the stores were confiscated and in June 1938 Robert was imprisoned in Dachau and later in Buchenwald. The family left for Prague awaiting their United States immigration visa. In March 1939, after receiving the visa they left for the UK in July 1939, and from there New York.