Julia Schor papers

The Julia Schor papers consist of biographical materials, clippings, a guest books, a library catalog, and a memoir documenting Schor’s childhood in Amsterdam, the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, being disguised as a Gentile in Blaricum, the work of her mother, Rosemarie Ensel, work for the Dutch Resistance, and the Jewish people her mother hid in their attic. Biographical materials include a poem about Christmas in wartime, a certificate supporting Rosemarie’s efforts to obtain a visa, a receipt for seizure of property, and three records documenting Judah Ensel’s efforts to retrieve jewelry from Rosemarie. Clippings include a chronicle of major World War II events of 1943, a description of Rosemarie Mauthner’s receipt of the Resistance memorial cross in 1983, and three videos chronicling Dutch resistance during World War II that were shown in 1990. The guest book belonged to Melanie Mauthner, who began the book in Vienna in 1928, continued in the Netherlands in 1938, and brought it with her into hiding. The library catalog and drawing of a library lists the books in Rosemarie’s personal library was probably created by someone hiding in Rosemarie’s attic in 1944. Julia Schor’s memoir, Mamma's Ark, details her mother’s childhood in Meuselwitz and romantic life in Germany and the Netherlands, her own childhood in Amsterdam, the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1941, a visit to her German grandparents in Groszbuch in 1942, moving to Blaricum during the Nazi occupation, enrollment in the local school as a non-Jew, her mother’s work in the Dutch Resistance, the Jewish people her mother hid in the attic, SS raids, and liberation. Julia Schor was born Betty Julia Ensel on April 4, 1937 to a non-Jewish German mother, Rose Marie Schink, and a Jewish father, Guy Weinberg, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. During World War II, Rose Marie Schink hid twelve Jews in the attic of her house in Blaricum, Netherlands, and was in contact with the Dutch resistance movement. Julia attended school under her mother's maiden name in order to avoid suspicion about her Jewish ancestry. Julia, her mother, and all of the Jews hiding in their house were liberated by Canadian forces in May 1945.