Envelope from AJDC in Paris to Saly Mayer and AJDC in Switzerland

Authors

Object ID

2014.1.389

Object Name

Envelope

Date

1946

Files

Content Warning

The Bulmash Family Holocaust Collection consists of images, documents, and artifacts related to the Holocaust. The collection contains materials that depict a number of topics that may be difficult for viewers to engage with, including: antisemitic descriptions, caricatures, and representation of Jewish people; Nazi imagery and ideology; descriptions and images of German ghettos; graphic images of the violence of the Holocaust; and the creation of the State of Israel. For more information, see our policy page.

Description

Front: Typewritten, addressed to Saly Mayer; three stamps. Back: Printed return address, 'AJDC, 19, Rue de Teheran, PARIS -8'

Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:

Saly Mayer (1882-1950) was a retired Swiss businessman who, as a representative of the American Joint Distribution Committee in neutral Switzerland, was instrumental in saving the lives of thousands of European Jews. After the Anschluss in 1938, despite Swiss opposition to the settlement of refugees, Mayer was involved in the reception and settlement of Austrian refugees in Switzerland despite Swiss opposition. As the fate of European Jewry became more widely known, Mayer made a number of attempts to smuggle children out of Belgium and France. He was an important contact in Switzerland for the American War Refugee Board and took part in the infamous Eichmann-inspired "Jews for trucks" negotiations. Rudolf Kastner has asked Mayer to attempt to bring about a deal with the Nazis as a Swiss private citizen since the "Joint" was an American organization. Indeed, Mayer's hands were tied in as much as he could not really provide any goods or services to the Nazis – he could only stall for time. The Nazis first released 318 Jews from Bergen-Belsen, and later another 1368 Jews who were able to find freedom in Switzerland. By February 1945, Mayer was able to secure the release of another 1200 Jews from Theresienstadt.

Dimensions

4 1/2 x 5 3/4"

Keywords

American Joint Distribution Committee, Switzerland, Saly Mayer, Pre-Holocaust, Pre-War

Recommended Citation

"Envelope from AJDC in Paris to Saly Mayer and AJDC in Switzerland" (1946). Bulmash Family Holocaust Collection. 2014.1.389.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/bulmash/1330