Seaman, Else_1974/11/3, Oral History, 1975-11-3

GREATER HARTFORD JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION

Tape No.: 100 No. of Tapes: Name of Interviewee: Seaman, Mrs. Arthur (Else) Date of Interview: November 3, 1974 Occupation: Homemaker Date of Birth: Circa 1901 Place of Birth: Gunters, Germany Transcript (yes/no): Yes No. of Pages: 28

Abstract: Mrs. Seaman’s husband emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1936, and she followed with her seven-year-old daughter five months after he applied for citizenship. The town of her birth had 16 Jewish families and a synagogue where she went to religious school twice a week. Her family were reformed Jews. Her father had a dairy farm and also a winery. She received her education in public grammar school, religious school and finishing school where she learned languages. She met her husband and married him when he worked at her father’s farm.

During World War II the family harbored French soldiers and later Russian prisoners. She spoke of the turmoil in Germany after the war was lost and Hitler started to gain power after 1927. She related at length the persecution suffered by her family, some taken to concentration camps, others emigrating to other countries and some killing themselves. She described her trip to New York where she lived for one year before moving to Hartford. She was able to bring her entire household goods with her. She was not very observant, going to Beth Israel mainly on the high holidays.

Subject Index: Oral History Anti-Semitism Holocaust German Jewry