Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence, 1942-1949
type: FindingAid
type: Document
conforms to: General International Standard for Archival Description
publisher: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
encoded as: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence, 1942-1949
topic: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
subject: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
has part: Biographical History for: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
topic: Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
subject: Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
topic: Letters from Weaver
subject: Letters from Weaver
topic: Log of mailings to Europe
subject: Log of mailings to Europe
topic: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
subject: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
topic: Letters from the Bergas Family
subject: Letters from the Bergas Family
topic: Letters from the Bergas family
subject: Letters from the Bergas family
topic: Correspondence with Bergas family, etc.
subject: Correspondence with Bergas family, etc.
topic: Hans Bergas’ memoir (partial)
subject: Hans Bergas’ memoir (partial)
topic: Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
subject: Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
topic: Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
subject: Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
topic: Enlarged map of Buchenwald
subject: Enlarged map of Buchenwald
topic: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
subject: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
topic: Letters from Hertha Parish
subject: Letters from Hertha Parish
topic: Letters from Kluth Family
subject: Letters from Kluth Family
topic: Correspondence with Luxemburg families
subject: Correspondence with Luxemburg families
topic: Letters from the Vorwerk family
subject: Letters from the Vorwerk family
topic: Ser.4 Miscellaneous
subject: Ser.4 Miscellaneous
topic: Miscellaneous papers
subject: Miscellaneous papers

General International Standard for Archival Description
type: Standard

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
type: Repository
type: Organization
type: Agent
country code: GB
maintenance agency code: 99999
is publisher of: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence, 1942-1949
administers: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
provides access to: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
provides access to: Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
provides access to: Letters from Weaver
provides access to: Log of mailings to Europe
provides access to: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
provides access to: Letters from the Bergas Family
provides access to: Letters from the Bergas family
provides access to: Correspondence with Bergas family, etc.
provides access to: Hans Bergas’ memoir (partial)
provides access to: Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
provides access to: Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
provides access to: Enlarged map of Buchenwald
provides access to: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
provides access to: Letters from Hertha Parish
provides access to: Letters from Kluth Family
provides access to: Correspondence with Luxemburg families
provides access to: Letters from the Vorwerk family
provides access to: Ser.4 Miscellaneous
provides access to: Miscellaneous papers

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
type: SpatialThing
is administered by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.

Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence, 1942-1949
type: EAD
type: Document
description: Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by FHL Staff, 2008
created: 2008
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
encoding of: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence, 1942-1949

Encoded Archival Description
type: Standard

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
type: Standard

Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
type: ArchivalResource
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
level: collection
origination: Gertrude Weaver
has biographical history: Biographical History for: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
scopecontent: SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE RECORDS This collection contains Weaver’s correspondence with the recipients of her post WWII aid, as well as records of the logistics (sending receipts, package contents) of the operation. The majority of the correspondence follows the Bergas, a family of German refugees living in Montauban, France. Hans Bergas resisted the Nazis during their rise to power, and for his political activism was imprisoned and later sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. Though he was eventually liberated and reunited with his family, he remained an invalid as a result of brutal conditions and torture. Because he was forced to remain in bed, Bergas had ample time to correspond with Weaver and her students, and as a result wrote an extensive account of his resistance to fascism and his experience in Buchenwald, which he sent to Chester High School in segments. Weaver eventually attempted to have Hans Bergas’ memoir published in Readers’ Digest magazine, but it was rejected. For a while, Weaver reportedly used this memoir in the place of textbooks in her classes. Weaver developed strong and lasting relationships with the families to whom she sent aid, often corresponding with them during school vacations and holidays, demonstrating that for her it was more than a class project. She made an effort to find other families in need of aid, taking suggestions from those she was in contact with for other families in need, and either corresponded with them directly or put them in contact with another Americans or groups of Americans interested in relief work. In addition to her Bergas correspondence, this collection also contains lengthy correspondence with the Kluth, Kühn, and Rollinger families. The collection is organized into the following series as received: Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of MailingsMemoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his FamilyOther CorrespondenceMiscellaneous
associated with: Buchenwald (Concentration camp) -- History.
associated with: World War, 1939-1945 -- France -- History.
associated with: Germany -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945.
associated with: World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives -- French.
associated with: World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives -- German.
associated with: Concentration camp inmates -- Biography.
associated with: Weaver, Gertrude, d. 1998.
associated with: Kluth, Wilhelm
associated with: Vorwerk, Walter
associated with: Parish, Hertha
associated with: Kuhn, Marianne
associated with: Bergas, Hans
associated with: Chester High School (Chester, Pa.) -- Students.
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
aggregates: Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
has part: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
aggregates: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
has part: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
aggregates: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
has part: Ser.4 Miscellaneous
aggregates: Ser.4 Miscellaneous

collection
type: Level
type: Concept

Gertrude Weaver
type: Agent
is origination of: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949

Biographical History for: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
type: BiographicalHistory
type: Document
type: DocumentPart
body: BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE Gertrude Weaver graduated from Swarthmore College in 1938 with degrees on German and History. She spent her junior year (1936-1937) in Munich, and went on to receive a Masters’ degree in teaching from Columbia University in 1939. She then began teaching German at Chester High School, where she and her students sent relief packages to families in Western Europe struggling to survive in impoverished post-World War II Europe. In addition to her career at Chester High School, Weaver also worked in the Newark School District, at Penn State College, and the Shandong College of Oceanography in China. She took additional classes at the University of Maryland and the University of Pennsylvania. Weaver was killed in a car accident in 1998.
topic: Gertrude Weaver
subject: Gertrude Weaver
is biographical history for: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
is part of: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence, 1942-1949

Buchenwald (Concentration camp) -- History.
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999

gb99999
type: ConceptScheme

World War, 1939-1945 -- France -- History.
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999

Germany -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945.
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999

World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives -- French.
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999

World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives -- German.
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999

Concentration camp inmates -- Biography.
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999

Weaver, Gertrude, d. 1998.
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999
focus: Weaver, Gertrude, d. 1998.

Weaver, Gertrude, d. 1998.
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Kluth, Wilhelm
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999
focus: Kluth, Wilhelm

Kluth, Wilhelm
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Vorwerk, Walter
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999
focus: Vorwerk, Walter

Vorwerk, Walter
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Parish, Hertha
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999
focus: Parish, Hertha

Parish, Hertha
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Kuhn, Marianne
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999
focus: Kuhn, Marianne

Kuhn, Marianne
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Bergas, Hans
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999
focus: Bergas, Hans

Bergas, Hans
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Chester High School (Chester, Pa.) -- Students.
type: Concept
in scheme: gb99999
focus: chesterhighschoolchesterpa--students

Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
is aggregated by: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
level: series
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Letters from Weaver
aggregates: Letters from Weaver
has part: Log of mailings to Europe
aggregates: Log of mailings to Europe

Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
is aggregated by: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
level: series
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Letters from the Bergas Family
aggregates: Letters from the Bergas Family
has part: Letters from the Bergas family
aggregates: Letters from the Bergas family
has part: Correspondence with Bergas family, etc.
aggregates: Correspondence with Bergas family, etc.
has part: Hans Bergas’ memoir (partial)
aggregates: Hans Bergas’ memoir (partial)
has part: Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
aggregates: Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
has part: Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
aggregates: Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
has part: Enlarged map of Buchenwald
aggregates: Enlarged map of Buchenwald

Ser.3 Other Correspondence
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
is aggregated by: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
level: series
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Letters from Hertha Parish
aggregates: Letters from Hertha Parish
has part: Letters from Kluth Family
aggregates: Letters from Kluth Family
has part: Correspondence with Luxemburg families
aggregates: Correspondence with Luxemburg families
has part: Letters from the Vorwerk family
aggregates: Letters from the Vorwerk family

Ser.4 Miscellaneous
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
is aggregated by: Finding Aid for Gertrude Weaver Refugee Correspondence1942-1949
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
level: series
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Miscellaneous papers
aggregates: Miscellaneous papers

series
type: Level
type: Concept

Letters from Weaver
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
is aggregated by: Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1947 2mo 21-1948 4mo 10
date created accumulated string: 1947 2mo 21-1948 4mo 10
language: ger
language: eng
scopecontent: Some English, some German. To Kluth family, Bergas family, and Eddie Ginsburg.

Log of mailings to Europe
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
is aggregated by: Ser.1 Gertrude Weaver’s Correspondence and Log of Mailings
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1946 1mo 29-1948 11mo 23
date created accumulated string: 1946 1mo 29-1948 11mo 23
scopecontent: In original order. Includes contents of packages, dates sent (usually), sending receipts, and cost of products.

Letters from the Bergas Family
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
is aggregated by: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1946 1mo 13-1946 12mo 25
date created accumulated string: 1946 1mo 13-1946 12mo 25
language: ger
language: fre
language: eng
scopecontent: Letters from the Bergas family, German refugees living in Montauban, France. All are originals, in German or French; some are translated.

Letters from the Bergas family
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
is aggregated by: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1947 1mo 23-1948 12mo 5
date created accumulated string: 1947 1mo 23-1948 12mo 5
language: ger
scopecontent: All originals, not translated.

Correspondence with Bergas family, etc.
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
is aggregated by: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1942-1947 6mo 8
date created accumulated string: 1942-1947 6mo 8
language: ger
language: eng
scopecontent: Binder includes other correspondence, photographs, clippings. Kept in original binder, in original order. Originals and some translations.

Hans Bergas’ memoir (partial)
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
is aggregated by: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: n.d.
date created accumulated string: n.d.
language: ger
language: eng
scopecontent: Incomplete sections, typed in German and English.

Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
is aggregated by: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1946
date created accumulated string: 1946
date created accumulated: 1946
produced in: Creation of Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
scopecontent: Complete memoir, typed in English with corrections written in in pen. Includes hand-drawn map, labeled in English.

Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
is aggregated by: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1946
date created accumulated string: 1946
date created accumulated: 1946
produced in: Creation of Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
language: ger
scopecontent: Hand-written in German.

Enlarged map of Buchenwald
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
is aggregated by: Ser.2 Memoir and Correspondence from Hans Bergas and his Family
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1946
date created accumulated string: 1946
date created accumulated: 1946
produced in: Creation of Enlarged map of Buchenwald
scopecontent: Hand-copied. On large piece of cardboard, labeled in English.

Creation of Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
type: Creation
type: Event
product: Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
involved: Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
time: Time of Creation of Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
at time: Time of Creation of Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946

Time of Creation of Buchenwald Experience of Hans Bergas Written for Chester High School Students 1914-1946
type: Interval
type: E52 Time-Span
timeline: universaltimeline
at: 1946
interval during: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1946
P86 falls within: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1946

Creation of Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
type: Creation
type: Event
product: Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
involved: Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
time: Time of Creation of Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
at time: Time of Creation of Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir

Time of Creation of Manuscript of Hans Bergas’ memoir
type: Interval
type: E52 Time-Span
timeline: universaltimeline
at: 1946
interval during: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1946
P86 falls within: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1946

Creation of Enlarged map of Buchenwald
type: Creation
type: Event
product: Enlarged map of Buchenwald
involved: Enlarged map of Buchenwald
time: Time of Creation of Enlarged map of Buchenwald
at time: Time of Creation of Enlarged map of Buchenwald

Time of Creation of Enlarged map of Buchenwald
type: Interval
type: E52 Time-Span
timeline: universaltimeline
at: 1946
interval during: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1946
P86 falls within: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1946

Letters from Hertha Parish
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
is aggregated by: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1946 7mo 7-1946 8mo 1
date created accumulated string: 1946 7mo 7-1946 8mo 1
language: ger
language: eng
scopecontent: Only record of correspondence with this person, two letters. One letter in German, one partially in English, partially in German.

Letters from Kluth Family
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
is aggregated by: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1946 10mo 28-1947 8mo 3
date created accumulated string: 1946 10mo 28-1947 8mo 3
language: ger
scopecontent: All originals, not translated.

Correspondence with Luxemburg families
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
is aggregated by: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1946 1mo 30-1946 8mo 31
date created accumulated string: 1946 1mo 30-1946 8mo 31
language: ger
language: eng
scopecontent: Binder of correspondence with Kühn and Rollinger families. Kept in original binder, in original order. Originals and some translations

Letters from the Vorwerk family
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
is aggregated by: Ser.3 Other Correspondence
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1949 1mo 25-1949 5mo 21
date created accumulated string: 1949 1mo 25-1949 5mo 21
language: iso639-3
scopecontent: Two letters. Originals, in German.

Miscellaneous papers
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Ser.4 Miscellaneous
is aggregated by: Ser.4 Miscellaneous
access provided by: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
date: 1945 10mo 6-n.d.
date created accumulated string: 1945 10mo 6-n.d.
language: fre
language: eng
scopecontent: Includes copies of French government documents (in French), a letter from Hans Bergas to Genosse Sollman, newspaper clipping about Weaver’s packages, and guidelines for sending packages by the Fellowship of Reconciliation.