Letter from Hanke Kohn

Part Of: United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds; Letters from Individuals series; Letter from Hanke Kohn file

Part Of: United Ostrowtzer Hilfs Committee fonds; Letters from Individuals series; Letter from Hanke Kohn file

Admin History/Bio: Hanke Kohn was from Ostrowiec, Poland. Her parents were Aron and Dyna (née Mincberg). In June 1940, Hanke left Ostrowiec for the Soviet Union, leaving her parents, younger brother, and grandmother behind. She was arrested at the border for crossing illegally and spent six months in prison until Moszek Klajman, whom she later married, arranged her release. They lived in Rowne in the early 1940s. After the war, they returned to Ostrowiec, only to discover that none of Hanke’s family had survived. Hanke and Moszek subsequently relocated to Szczecin, Poland, where they were living in the mid-1940s with their son.

Scope and Content: File consists of a letter from Hanke Kohn, in Szczecin, Poland, to an unknown recipient, likely Max Hartstone. In this letter, the Hanke writes about her personal history, her decision to leave Poland in 1940 to go to the Soviet Union, and the challenges she faced, including being arrested at the border. She writes about returning to Ostrowiec after the war and discovering that none of her family had survived. She mentions that she has a fourteenth-month old son and that she and her family are now living in Szczecin. File also contains a typed translation.

Repro Restriction: Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.