Hannelore Wahlhaus papers

Hannelore Wahlhaus (1925-2001, later Helaine Wahlhaus and Helaine Freeman) was born on 2 January 1925 in Gersfeld, Germany to Renny (née Nussbaum) and Salomon Wahlhaus. She emigrated from Germany to the United States in November 1937 with assistance from the German-Jewish Children’s Aid Organization. After arriving in the United States, Hannelore lived in Chicago, Illinois with Max and Mildred Schrayer, relatives of Hannelore’s mother. Max worked to help bring Hannelore’s parents, brother, and extended family to the United States. Hannelore, now Helaine, became a naturalized citizen in 1945. The papers consist of letters, postcards, telegrams, a passport, a passport photograph, and other documents relating to the experiences of Hannelore Wahlhaus [donor's mother] and her emigration from Germany in 1937, with the assistance of the German-Jewish Children's Aid organization. The collection also documents the subsequent efforts of Max Schrayer, Wahlhaus's "adopted" father in the United States, to bring her parents, brother, and extended family to the United States.