Kraus Rescue Mission: The Henny Wenkart Papers
The Henny Wenkart papers include passports, postcards, photographs, and printed material related to the childhood and emigration of Henny (Henriette) Wenkart from Nazi-occupied Austria. She was one of the “50 Children” rescued by Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus in June 1939. Kraus Rescue Mission
Collection Highlights Kraus Rescue Mission
- German Passports (1939) for Henny and her mother, Rose (Rachela) Wenkart.
- Childhood Photographs: Images of Henny and her family in Austria, including future husband Heinz David Epstein.
- Postcards: Sent by Henny’s father, Hermann Wenkart, during World War I.
- Published Material: Poetry and essays by Henny Wenkart reflecting on emigration and exile experiences.
Biographical Documents Kraus Rescue Mission
Included are biographical documents detailing Henny Wenkart’s later writings and reminiscences, highlighting her educational achievements and life in the United States after emigration.
Family Background
- Henny Wenkart was born on July 5, 1928, in Vienna, Austria.
- Parents: Hermann (b. 1896) and Rose (b. 1904, née Stein) Wenkart.
- Immigration: Henny was among the “50 Children” transported to the United States in 1939 by Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus.
- Post-immigration: The Wenkart family reunited in New York on September 1, 1939, later settling in Brooklyn, Baltimore, and Providence, Rhode Island.
Educational and Career Achievements Kraus Rescue Mission
- Bachelor’s degree from Pembroke College.
- Master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University.
- Doctorate in Philosophy from Harvard University.
Family Emigration and Survival
- Henny’s paternal grandmother, Drorah Chaya Wenkart, escaped to Switzerland and later joined family in New York.
- On her mother’s side, an uncle, Leo Stein, perished at Buchenwald, while an aunt, Marie, escaped to Palestine.
Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus: Heroes of the Rescue Mission
- Who were Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus? An American couple who rescued 50 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Austria before World War II.
- Challenges and Achievements: Despite restrictive U.S. immigration policies and opposition from both American and Jewish community leaders, the Krauses raised $150,000 and secured visas to rescue the children.
- The Journey: Traveling with a Jewish pediatrician, Dr. Robert Schless, they navigated Nazi bureaucracy to obtain the necessary documents and successfully transported the children to safety in the United States. Kraus Rescue Mission
Documentary
Their heroic story is captured in the documentary “50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus” (2013), directed by Steven Pressman, husband of their granddaughter Liz Perle.
Swiss Protection Letter to Escape the Holocaust in Budapest
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