Kerner-Mazefska family. Collection

Kazerne Dossin Research Centre This collection comprises an assortment of documents illuminating the life of Abram Hertz Kerner and Tauba Mazefska. Notable items include two identity cards (1942), two attestations regarding Abram's enlistment in the Belgian army reserve, an attestation of residence in Charleroi (1942), and ration certificates for their family. Additionally, the collection encompasses documents related to Abram's business activities, such as attestations of the fixed business tax, two regulations and permits for itinerant trade. These were all part of the documents confiscated from them at the Dossin barracks and previously part of the "Relics" collection (KD_00005). A significant portion of the collection focuses on correspondence and official communications. These include letters and envelopes concerning an application for recognition as Political Prisoners, letters from Belgian authorities regarding requested documents and associated costs for certifications (1951-1963), and letters from Léa Kerner seeking reparations for confiscated jewelry and furniture by German forces (1963-1970). Noteworthy are the numerous letters related to Léa Kerner's status as a Hidden Child and inquiries about her benefits. Furthermore, the collection features certificates of recognition and acknowledgement, such as the Acknowledgment Card for Ondergedoken Joodse Kinderen (Hidden Jewish Children) and the recognition of Political Prisoner's beneficiary. Also included are membership cards from post-war Jewish social organizations like Les Amis du Service Social Juif (2003-2005). Documents related to post-war events include a marriage certificate of Léa Kerner and David Szafarz in Charleroi (1952), certificates of assistance from Aide aux Israélites Victimes de la Guerre (1956), an Inhabitants Certificate for Léa Kerner in Vorst (1966), and a certificate of reparations (1966). The collection is enriched with miscellaneous materials, including receipts, a mandate note with a file number, a note confirming residence in Charleroi (1942), and a letter from the Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance concerning historical documents related to Abram Kerner and Tauba Mazefska. Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu Abram Hertz Kerner, born on 21 May 1887 in Kluwow, arrived in Belgium around March/April 1924 and was not reunited with his wife, Tauba Mazefska, born on 10 April 1895 in Konstantyn and a dressmaker by profession, until 1925. They married in Lodz, Poland, on 5 May 1922, and had two children: a son, Luzer/Léon Kerner, born on 3 or 15 March 1923 in Lodz, and a daughter, Esther Lea Kerner, born on 3 November 1927 in Charleroi. In 1939, Abram and Tauba became naturalised Belgians. Their peaceful life in Belgium was abruptly interrupted during the Second World War when they were arrested at Lodelinsart on 25 November 1943. On 27 November 1943, they were registered at the Dossin barracks in Mechelen and deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau on 15 January 1944 with transport XXIII. Their two children had been hidden before the arrest and survived the war.