Manfred Haber family papers

Manfred Haber (later Fred Haber, 1925-2018) was born on 8 March 1925 in Vienna, Austria to Raphael Haber and Dora Seidler Haber. His father Raphael (1881-1942) was born on 18 March 1889 in Panka, Romania to Moses Haber and Chaje Eisinger Haber. He had six siblings and worked as a typesetter. Manfred’s mother Dora (1896-1942) was born on 1 December 1896 in Czernowitz (Chernivtsi, Ukraine) to Salomon Seidler and Brucha Hilfgott Seidler. She worked as a typesetter. Manfred had one sister, Gertrude (Trudy, b. 1929). During Kristallnacht in November 1938, Raphael was arrested and imprisoned in Dachau. After his release, Raphael arranged for Manfred and Trudy to go from Vienna to France, where they boarded a ship and immigrated to the United States. Manfred enlisted with the United States Army in 1943. He served first with the 36th Infantry Division, and later as a member of the Signal Corps. Both of Manfred’s parents were murdered in the Holocaust. Raphael and Dora lived in Antwerp, Belgium by April 1939. By August 1940 Raphael had been deported from Antwerp to St. Cyprien internment camp in France, and Les Milles by 1941. He was deported from Drancy to Auschwitz on 14 August 1942 where he perished. Dora was deported from Mechelen to Auschwitz on 15 August 1942 where she perished. After the war, Manfred earned a degree in electrical engineering. He married Joy Perlow and they had two sons: Robert and Theodore. The collection consists of biographical material and correspondence documenting the Holocaust-era experiences of Manfred Haber (later Fred Haber) originally of Vienna, Austria, his parents Dora and Raphael Haber, and sister Gertrude Haber. The bulk of the collection consists of letters sent to Manfred and Gertrude, who immigrated to the United States in 1939, from their parents in Vienna, Antwerp, and several concentration camps; and letters exchanged between Manfred and Gertrude while he was serving with the United States Army from 1943-1946. Biographical material includes Manfred’s birth announcement, citizen certificate, report cards, and a personal narrative regarding his military service; Raphael and Dora’s engagement card and marriage certificate; Dora’s birth certificate and an employment reference; Raphael’s birth certificate and a documents regarding his military service; and Austrian cemetery plot documents for Haber and Gruss. Correspondence primarily consists of letters sent to Manfred and Gertrude from their parents, and correspondence between Manfred and Gertrude after he enlisted with the United States Army. Letters from Dora and Raphael were jointly sent to Manfred and Gertrude while they were in Vienna and Antwerp, and then separately after they were sent to different concentration camps, including St. Cyprien, Les Milles, and Zelem. There are also a few letters sent by Dora and Raphael to friends or relatives. Correspondence between Manfred and Gertrude includes letters sent to her from his training in the United States and his wartime and post-war posts in Europe. There is a small amount of other correspondence of Manfred’s including letters exchanged with relatives and the United Restitution Organization. The photograph consists of a wedding photograph of Manfred with his wife Joy Perlow. Copyright Holder: Mr. Bob Haber