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Hirth, Ann and Michael_1995, Oral History

 Digital Record
Identifier: hirth_ann and michael, 1995

Dates

  • Creation: April 19, 1995

Interview

Ann and Michael Hirth were interviewed by Adele Gaster at the Hartford JCC on April 19, 1995 at a meeting of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford.

Language of Materials

English

General Note

This file contains several copies of invitations to Ann Hirth's interview at the JHSGH as well as a letter of acknowledgement. Folder contains a Journal Inquirer newspaper article (4/20/1995) featuring a story about Ann Hirth and her parents experience of escaping Nazi Germany before the inception of WWII. Additionally, it contains the obituary of Ann's husband Mike Hirth.

Interview

This interview covers Ann Hirth’s life growing up in Vienna, her family’s emigration to Israel/Palestine, her education and ability as a translator, her travels and various jobs including meeting her husband Michael “Mike” Hirth, moving to New London and living on a chicken farm with her husband and in-laws, moving to Manchester for Mike’s job with the Central Connecticut Cooperative Farmers Association.

Mike Hirth also speaks, giving details about his life and emigration to New London from Europe after surviving the Holocaust, general information about the Jewish farming community, coming from the same town in Poland as Rabbi Leon Wind and discovering that they were both alive after the war and living in Connecticut.

Both reflect on the Jewish communities where they lived and their families’ varying levels of observance.

The second half of the interview involves a question and answer section with the audience, which is where Mike speaks the most. Their youngest son, Stephen Hirth, is one of the people who asks a question.

Repository Details

Part of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford Repository

Contact:
333 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford CT 06117 USA
860-727-6171