Ruth Mueller papers

The Ruth Mueller papers include biographical material, a diary, correspondence, and photographs relating to the pre-war, wartime, and post-war experiences of Ruth Mueller and her family, originally of Frankfurt, Germany. Biographical material includes a birth certificate, marriage certificate, death certificate, and driver’s license for Paul, Ruth’s father, as well as a copy of a death certificate for Maria, Ruth’s mother. The diary is written in German and was started by Ruth in 1930. In the diary Ruth writes about escaping Germany, her voyage to the United States, and adjusting to life in America. The entries stop in 1943 then resume from 1960 to 1986. The collection also includes a family history book as well as photographs, a photo album, and a scrapbook documenting the Mueller family including pre-war and wartime photographs of family, friends, day trips, and a visit to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Ruth Mueller (1917-2015) was born in Mannheim, Germany to a non-Jewish father, Paul Mueller (1890-1937) and a Jewish mother, Marie Mueller (1895-1975). They lived in Frankfurt, Germany where Paul worked as an engineer for Mercedes-Benz. Paul died in 1937 from natural causes. Marie’s brother, Robert Halfen, immigrated to the United States in 1912 and he sponsored Ruth, Marie, and Ruth’s Uncle Adolf’s immigration to the United States. Their visas were not valid until March 1940 so they fled Germany in 1939 through France. Marie and Adolf left together and Ruth left with a friend, John. Once Ruth and John reached France, they went their separate ways. Ruth went from Strasburg, France, to Luxemburg, and then to Brussels, Belgium where she meet her Aunt Erna and Uncle Jub. Her aunt and uncle stayed in Brussels and Ruth continued to England where she was reunited with her mother and uncle. They lived in Manchester and Ruth and Marie worked in various households. After a few months in England, they sailed to the United States in March 1940 and settled in New York. Ruth went on to become a successful business owner and graduated from Fordham University in Manhattan in 1979. Copyright Holder: Mr. Robert T. Slatoff