Josef Kaufmann papers

The papers consist of correspondence between Josef Kaufmann in Cairo, Egypt, and his paternal aunt, Thekla Kaufmann, who was interned in Camp de Gurs in France; an employment book ("Arbeitsbuch") issued to Thekla Kaufmann in 1937; and a vaccination certificate issued to Thekla Kaufmann in Camp de Gurs. Josef Kaufmann was born on July 2, 1923, in Baiertal, Germany. He was the middle son of Cesar and Rosa Brig Kaufmann. His older brother, Berthold (b. 1921), was sent to England in 1939 on "Kindertransport," and his younger brother, Sigmund (b. 1929), survived World War II in Switzerland. Josef's parents were deported from Germany to Rivesaltes transit camp in France, and in 1942 they were transferred to Auschwitz concentration camp where they perished. In Oct. 1939 Josef left Germany with "Jugend Aliyah" (Youth Aliyah) for Denmark and a few months later, in Mar. 1941, he traveled to Palestine via Sweden, Finland, the Soviet Union, Turkey, and Lebanon. Josef enrolled in "Yagur" school near Haifa. In Aug. 1942, Josef volunteered for the British Army and spent the next four years serving in Cairo, Egypt. In 1954, Josef Kaufmann settled in Denmark where he currently resides.