Records in the World ORT Archive relating to ORT's activities in Berlin, Germany, the Berlin ORT school, and its transfer to Leeds, UK.
The Berlin-Leeds ORT school, 1937-1943.
In 1937 an ORT school was established in Berlin to provide technical education for Jewish boys excluded from state schools by the Nazis. Because of the increasingly precarious position of Jews in Nazi Germany, ownership of the school buildings and equipment was registered under British ORT (today’s ORT UK).
Arranged into the following sub-collections:
Governance
WO/4/12/1-4
Description: Documents and correspondence related to registration and governance of World ORT Union and ORT Germany in Germany, 1921-1942 (see separate list for full details). Includes registration documents, constitution and by laws and minutes.
Reports:
| Archive Ref | Digital Ref | Title/description |
| WO/1/3/4/2/1 | d06b236 | The Position of the Technical School of the ORT in Berlin. Report submitted by I. Koralnik, General Secretary of the Central Executive of the ORT Union. December 1938. [DC/0120/10]. |
| d06b515 | Fortnightly report on the Leeds school for the period 14-27 April 1940 submitted to World ORT Union’s headquarters by Director Heilborn, 27 April 1940 [DC0121_06]. | |
| WO/2/8/3 | d09a032 | Letter from the Central Board Executive to British ORT-OSE regarding arrangements for the Berlin ORT school in Richborough, Kent, following its transfer to the UK, 1939 |
| Archive Ref | Digital Ref | Title/ description |
| WO/4/47/32/3 | d06c883 | Letter concerning an ORT Berlin school student, Paul Wald, March 1939 [DC/0127/04]. |
| d06c919 | Telegram re Berlin-Leeds school, 7 September 1939 [DC/0127/04]. | |
| WO/2/8/3 | d09a032 | Letter from the Central Board Executive to British ORT-OSE regarding arrangements for the Berlin ORT school in Richborough, Kent, following its transfer to the UK, 11 September 1939. |
| d08a094 | [copy] Letter from Adolph Eichmann to ORT, Siemens str. 15, 21 March 1941. Letter signed on behalf of Eichmann, informing ORT that in accordance with new laws from 1939, "ORT, Gesellschaft zur Foerderung des Handwerks und der Landwirtschaft unter den Juden, Abteilung Deutschland" will be integrated with the "Association of Jews in Germany". | |
| d07a154 | Regulations of the Leeds ORT Technical & Engineering School, 27 November 1939. | |
| d07a155 | Our New ORT – Hostels in Leeds – account by A. Lewinsky (student), February 1940. | |
| WO/4/16/10/1 | d10a020 | [copy] British ORT Publicity pamphlet, undated (c.1940): The O.R.T. and O.S.E.: From Despair to Hope: A Constructive Form of Help. |
| d13a055 | ORT Technical Engineering School – Leeds Monthly Magazine, No. 1, January 1941. | |
| d13a056 | ORT Technical Engineering School – Leeds Monthly Magazine, No. 2, February 1941. | |
| d13a057 | ORT Technical Engineering School – Leeds Monthly Magazine, No. 3, March 1941. | |
| WO/5/5/1/1 | d11a058 | ORT Technical Engineering School – Leeds Monthly Magazine, No. 4, April 1941. |
| d14a003 | ORT Technical Engineering School – Leeds Monthly Magazine, No. 5, May-June 1941. | |
| d07a156 | ORT Technical Engineering School – Leeds Monthly Magazine, No. 6, undated [1941]. | |
| d14a004 | ORT Technical Engineering School – Leeds Monthly Magazine, No. 7, undated [winter 1941]. Includes a list of students and their contact addresses. | |
| WO/7/4/2/2/46 | d08a093 | Copy of certificate issued to E. G. J. Fontheim, a teacher at the school, by the ORT school in Berlin, dated April 24, 1941 [DC/0109]. |
| d14a002 | ORT Leeds school song, c. 1940-1942. | |
| d10a019 | Letters from Past and Present Students of the ORT Technical Engineering School, Leeds. Pamphlet. British ORT OSE Committee, London, c.1942. | |
| PC/SPE/FTF/p00a036 | d00a003 | [copy] Postcard sent by Werner Simon from Theresienstadt, 22 November 1943. |
| Archive Ref | Digital Ref | Title/ description |
| d04a010 | Letter from former student Henry (Hans) Futter describing the Berlin school and the transfer to Leeds, 1966. | |
| WO/7/4/2/2/31 | Correspondence with Dr Arthur Feige, a teacher and Deputy Director of the [formerly RG/2/7/100] ORT school in Berlin, October 1977. Includes a certificate made out to Mr. Arthur Israel Feige by ORT Berlin, April 17, 1941. [DC0106; formerly RG/2/7/100]. | |
| d07a164 – d07a166 | Correspondence regarding photographs from the Berlin school [PA39]. Includes: letter from Brian Strum to John Heller re his commentary on Berlin school photos, August 1999; letter from Brian Strum to Robert Singer re enclosed photographs and commentary, August 1999; document entitled John Heller comments on ORT Berlin Photo Album, 24 August 1999 [scanned] (with copies of related photos – taken from album, which is part of ORT Works collection). | |
| d11a003 | Letter from Henry Levey to Old Boys following reunion, 21 May 1962. Received from Sue Gessler. | |
| d12a113 | Transcript of oral history interview with H. H. Behrendt, former Headmaster of the ORT Berlin school and later a teacher at the ORT Leeds school. Conducted by Michael Henry, c 1978. |
| Archive Ref | Title/ description |
| WO/7/7/2 | Herbert Stein papers: ORT Berlin, 1940-1941, 1940 - May 2011. Papers relating to Herbert Stein's experience at the ORT Berlin school during WWII. Includes correspondence between ORT Germany and Mr Stein's parents; original records relating to entrance exams, enrollment; fees; and diploma (1940-41); correspondence between Mr Stein and ORT America (2011), deposit letter transferring ownership to World ORT and giving permission to use documents (2011), supporting documentation, including letter to relatives explaining the background and providing a list with brief translation of each document (1996); and correspondence relating to Stein’s support of ORT in the 1980s. |
| WO/7/7/2/1 | Correspondence between Mr Stein and ORT regarding his donation of documents to the World ORT Archive, April 2011. |
| WO/7/7/2/2 | Letter from Herbert Stein to June and Fred Kern regarding documents relating to his experiences in ORT Berlin in 1940-41, 18 September 1996. |
| WO/7/7/2/3 | Letter from ORT Berlin accepting Herbert Stein as a student, March 1940. |
| WO/7/7/2/4 | Notice to Mr Stein of appointment for medical and technical aptittude examination for his son Herbert, April 1940. |
| WO/7/7/2/5 | Circular, accepting Herbert Stein to the Berlin ORT school, 4 April 1940. |
| WO/7/7/2/6 | Acknowledgement by ORT that Herbert Stein will receive training in locksmithery effective 8 April 1940, 4 April 1940. |
| WO/7/7/2/7 | Letter from ORT to Ludwig Stein regarding school fees, 6 April 1940. |
| WO/7/7/2/8 | ORT diploma No. 405, awarded to Herbert Stein by the ORT school in Berlin, 5 September 1941. |
| WO/7/7/2/9 | Letter from Jack Rader to Herbert Stein regarding forthcoming visit to Morocco, 7 October 1981. |
| WO/7/7/2/10 | Thank you letter from ORT Morocco in response to Mr & Mrs Stein's donation of $100, 15 October 1981. |
| WO/7/7/3 | Edgar (Eddie) Lax papers, 1939-1942. Papers relating to Mr Lax's time as a student at the ORT Leeds school. Includes: text books used by Lax during his time at the school; exercise books; and technical drawings made while a student. |
| Archive Ref | Digital Ref | Title/ description |
| Acc/12 | Henry James papers | |
| d07a169 | Reference letter for Heinz Jacobius [Henry James] signed by F. Heilborn and Col. Levey, August 1941 (copy). | |
| d07a170 | Photocopied excerpt from Interrupted Journeys: Young Refugees from Hitler's Reich by Alan Gill. | |
| d07a171 | Life Story: Henry Lippmann, memoir, 2004. | |
| d07a172 | Photograph of Berlin ORT Boys reunion 17 November 2003 (JC?) | |
| d07a173 | ORT Matters: Saved by ORT by Christine Stutz (Baltimore Jewish Times?) Fall 1998. | |
| d07a174 | Berliner Morgenpost, 26 July 1989. | |
| Acc/16 | Max Abraham papers. Max Abraham was a teacher at both Berlin and Leeds schools and maintained contact with many of the students until his death in 2008. Includes copies of Leeds school paper, press cuttings, correspondence and papers relating to ORT and old boys’ reunions, work book with technical diagrams, material received from students (incl. d10a019). |
| Digital Ref | Title/ description |
| d07a167 – d07a168 | Berlin ORT Old Boys’ contact lists, 1989, 1999. |
| d07a160 – d07a163 | Correspondence re PR of the ORT Berlin-Leeds story and reunion, 1999 |
| d07a158 – d07a159 | Cover letter and menu from ORT Berlin-Leeds Old Boys reunion held in May 2003. |
| Reference | Title/ description |
| PA49 | ORT Works Berlin School December 1938 album. Photos (taken in November 1938) by Lilli Szkolny. [CD32; CD50]. See d07a166 for commentary by a former student. |
| PA43 | Photo album from the boys’ hostels in Leeds, 1941. |
| PA57 | Scanned photo album belonging to former Berlin-Leeds student Ian Gessler received from his daughter, 1928-1977 [permission required]. Includes photos from Ian Gessler's time in Berlin, then the Leeds ORT schools, before and after WWII, some of which are included in the ORT Works Lilly Szkolnik 1938 album [PA49]. |
| p00a034 | View of the ORT school in Leeds, which was transplanted from Berlin to England in 1939. |
| p03a542 | Portrait of Colonel Joseph Henry Levey, Active Chairman of the Joint British Committee ORT-OSE, who helped transfer the Berlin ORT school to Leeds in 1939. [CD87]. |
| p01a101 – p01a104 | February 2001. Views of the former ORT building & a commemorative plaque, Berlin. |