By May 1945 six million European Jews had been murdered by the Nazis and their allies. Much of Europe lay in ruins. Allied soldiers confronting the concentration camps for the first time found -amidst the scattered mounds of corpses and ash-“survivors” suffering from disease and starvation, many of whom would perish in the forthcoming days and months. Homeless and unable -or unwilling- to be repatriated to their countries of origin, many were housed in Displaced Persons camps throughout the Allied zones of occupation. These DP camps, often former military or even concentration camps, were themselves overcrowded, and just as often the Jews had to share space with their very persecutors. Many Jews attempted to emigrate to Palestine despite stringent quotas on immigration imposed by the British government attempting to mollify the Arabs. As a consequence, many emigrated “illegally” with the assistance of the Jewish Brigade and Haganah, through the underground Bricha Movement. A 1947 a United Nations resolution to partition Palestine between Jews and Arabs was to be rejected by the Arabs. Britain would end its mandate and withdraw from Palestine in May 1948. Israel established its provisional government in the same month, giving Jews their own homeland and unrestricted immigration. President Truman himself loosened restrictions on quotas of displaced persons, and approximately 28,000 Jews were able to immigrate to the US. The Nuremberg trials were a consequence of Allied efforts to take legal action against Germany as a criminal state. The first tribunal consisted of eight judges, drawn from each of the Allied countries. Twenty-one former Nazi leaders stood trial. The Tribunal enshrined for the first time in jurisprudence and international law the concept of “genocide”, as well as a typology of war crimes to be utilized by the United Nations. In the ensuing years many courts- both international and domestic-would conduct trials of accused war criminals.
This collection features passports, visas and other documents of diplomats and others who saved Jews, including Friedrich Born, Frank Foley, Feng Shan Ho, Vlademar Langlet, Carl Lutz, Monsignor Angelo Rota, Andrey Szeptycki, Angel Sanz-Briz, Chiune Sugihara, Raoul Wallenberg,Carl Ivan Danielsson and Jan Zwartendijk. Also noteworthy is an assemblage of ephemera—photos, covers, letters, etc.- from the Bergen-Belsen (D.P. Hohne) Displaced Persons Camp (1946-1948); and covers from organizations such as the AJDC , IRO and UNRRA, established to provide aid and assistance to Jewish refugees.
--Michael D. Bulmash, K1966
Browse the Bulmash Family Holocaust Collection.
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Adolf Eichmann in Court
2014.1.365
Front: Image of Adolf Eichmann wearing glasses and suit with man wearing hat behind him. AP Wire photo from Jerusalem April 11, 1961, taken at the opening of Eichmann's trial in Jerusalem. Statement below reads"Eichmann in Court -- Adolf Eichmann tilts his head as he appears in Jerusalem courtroom today on the opening day of his trial. (AP Wirephoto via radio from Jerusalem) "Back: Taped newspaper clipping of same photo with 'Apr 17,1961' stamp.
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Postcard of Cita del Vaticano
2015.2.80
Color photo of the Vatican with a crowd of people in its piazza and beyond. Several cars, and the steps of the Vatican are decked in red. Back:Black printed postcard lines. Left side has message written in black ink vertically. Sent from Aaron Kennedy. Right side has address written to Florence Gallagher, Richmond Hill, New York. Two pasted stamps in upper right corner, each depicting a man hammering something on an anvil.
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First Day Cover: Israeli Commemoration of World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors in Jerusalem
2012.1.146
White envelope with illustration of a yellow Star of David with barbed wire. Titled "World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors Jerusalem."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Israeli First Day Cover commemorating World Gathering of Holocaust Survivors in Jerusalem.
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Commemorative Stamp Collage
2012.1.160
Collage of four different kinds of commemorative stamps having to do with World War II and the Holocaust.
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First Day Cover: Celebration of Havivah Reik
2012.1.140
White envelope with wooden Star of David and stamp of Havivah Reik.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: First Day Cover commemorating Havivah Reik.
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First Day Cover: Israeli Celebration of Enzo Sereni
2012.1.141
Off-white envelope with illustration of a shield with a gold Star of David. Titled, "Célebration des Volontaires, 1955."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Israeli First Day Cover celebrating Enzo Sereni.
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First Day Cover: Celebration of Anne Frank along with stamps honoring the end of the Holocaust
2012.1.131
White envelope with five postage stamps, including a long one with pictures of Anne Frank. Includes illustration of the Anne Frank Huis in blue and black.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Israeli First Day Cover celebrating Anne Frank along with stamps honoring the end of the Holocaust.
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First Day Cover: Celebration of Anne Frank
2012.1.134
White envelope with a postage stamp with photos of Anne Frank, as well as black and blue illustrations of the Anne Frank Huis.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Israeli First Day Cover commemorating Anne Frank.
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Italian Commemoration for National Congress Postcard
2012.1.153
Silver front with an illustration of a dead body laying near barbed wire. Back includes blank postcard lines.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: A commemorative postcard for the National Congress in the city of Genova, Italy, by the Associazione Nazionale Ex Deportati.
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Heroes and Martyrs Remembrance Day Leaflet
2012.1.405
Front: Black and white photograph of children in a concentration camp. Titled, "Souvenir Leaf, Heroes and Martyrs Remembrance Day, 52 Years Since the Uprisings in the Ghettos and Camps, 50th Anniversary of the Defeat of Nazi Germany and Liberation of the Camps 1945-1995" in Englihs and Hebrew.Back: White background with a black illustration of a building. Titled, "Beit Lohame Haghetaot Ghetto Fighters' House" in English and Hebrew.
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50 Years Since the Liberation of the Auschwitz Death Camp Souvenir Leaf
2012.1.409a
Front: White card with a photograph of the train tracks leading to Auschwitz. Titled, "Souvenir Leaf, 50 Years Since the Liberation of the Auschwitz Death Camp."Back: Text in Hebrew and English. Titled, "Beit Lohamei Hagethaot - The Ghetto Fighters' House."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Auschwitz was liberated on January 20, 1945.
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Kristallnacht Commemorative Souvenir Leaf
2012.1.409b
Front: Includes a black and white photograph of a synagogue and photograph of a memorial. Titled, "Souvenir Leaf, Kristallnacht - 65 Jahre" in English and Hebrew.Back: Titled, "Remember and Never Forget!" in English, Hebrew and German. Includes an illustration of a burning synagogue and a Star of David in chains.
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First Day Cover: Israeli Commemoration of Heroes and Martyrs Day
2012.1.144
White envelope with blue illustration of a hand reaching towards the sky with Star of David on wrist.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Israeli First Day Cover commemorating Heroes and Martyrs Day. Issued 50 years after of the Holocaust of Hungarian Jews.
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First Day Cover: Israeli Commemoration of 50th Anniversary of Liberation of Buchenwald
2012.1.145
White envelope with blue illustration of children standing by a tower. Titled "Convention of the Children of Buchenwald 50th Anniversary of Liberation of the Camp."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Israeli First Day Cover commemorating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Buchenwald Concentration Camp
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German Commemorative Sheet and Stamp
2012.1.426
White sheet titled, "50. Jahrestag der Befreiung der Gefangenen aus den Konzentrationslagern." Includes a serated stamp and the names of concentration camps surrounding it.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: German Commemorative sheet issued in Bonn. This sheet commemorated the liberation of the concentration camps. This was issued near the 50th anniversary of the ending of German National Socialism and the liberation concentration camps in the Third Reich during World War II.
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First Day Cover: Marshall Islands Commemoration of Allies Liberating Concentraion Camps
2012.1.129
White envelope with matching illustration and stamp of concentration camp prisoners behind a barbed wire with a soldier holding a gun. Titled, "Allies Liberate Concentration Camps."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Marshall Islands First Day Cover commemorating Allies liberating Concentration Camps.
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First Day Cover: Portuguese Commemorating Peace and Freedom in Europe
2012.1.118
Envelope with barbed wire background, and two long, rectangular stamps. Titled, "Europa, Paz e Liberdade.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Portuguese First Day Cover commemorating peace and freedom for Europe.
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V-E Day Stamps
2012.1.404
Large white envelope with a green illustration of a man saluting with troopins in the background. Includes a series of stamps depicting Auschwitz and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Stamps celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.
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First Day Cover: Israeli celebration of the end of WWII and liberation of Concentration Camps
2012.1.127
Large envelope with five rows of identical stamps with US, UK and Russian flags.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Israelie First Day Cover celebrating the end of WWII and liberation of Concentration Camps.
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Israeli Buchenwald Commemorative Envelope
2012.1.406
White envelope with black and white illustration of camp members along bottom. Includes a colorful illustration with camp members and watercolor butterflies.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Israeli Postal souvenir sheet issued in 1995 to commemorate liberation from the camps.
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First Day Cover: Honolulu, Hawaii Commemoration of Liberation
2012.1.108
White envelope with green illustration of the liberation on right side. Brown text in middle. Stamp with people looking out through barbed wire on upper right.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: 1995 Hawaii commemoration of liberation of Holocaust survivors.
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First Day Cover: Candadian commemoration of Shoah documentary and Allied Liberation of Wobbelin Concentration Camp
2012.1.114
Front: Grey envelope with illustration of a concentration camp uniform on the left, and four identical stamps showing photographs of concentration camp survivors. Back: A black and white photograph of concentration camp survivors with text in English.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: A picture of survivors being rescued by US Army troops at Wobbelin Concentration Camp, 1945.
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First Day Cover: Celebration of Raoul Wallenberg
2012.1.115
White envelope with yellow Star of David and Raoul Wallenberg stamp, titled "Remember the Six Million."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: First day Cover commemorating Raoul Wallenberg.
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First Day Cover: Argentinian Commemoration of Raoul Wallenberg and Holocaust
2012.1.120
Off-white envelope with illustration of barbed wire and a yellow Star of David Patch. Includes a purple Raoul Wallenberg stamp.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Argentinian First Day Cover commemorating Raoul Wallenberg and victims of the Holocaust.
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Enigma Machine
2014.1.238
A color photograph of the Enigma machine.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Enigma machine invented by Germans for transmitting secret military information. Alan Turing and others at Bletchley Park's cipher program in England were able to break the Enigma code which helped with the Allied war effort.