Haber family papers

The collection documents the Holocaust-era experiences of the Haber family of Vienna, Austria including Fritz Haber (Fred), who emigrated from Vienna, Austria with Eleanor and Gilbert Kraus, an American couple who negotiated the American immigration of fifty Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Vienna in May, 1939. Included are photographs and clippings of Fritz and the other children documenting their trip on board the SS President Harding and arrival to the United States; identification papers of Fritz’s parents Joseph and Grete Haber; education and employment papers of Joseph; documents of Joseph’s parents Hersch and Hinde Haber; and photographs of the Haber family in Vienna and in the United States after Fritz’s parents and brother Henry immigrated to the United States by 1940. Joseph Haber was born on 16 July 1893 in Vienna, Austria to Hersch (d. 1911) and Hinde Haber (née Messinger, b. 1865). He married Grete Raschdowitz (b. 1895) and they had two sons, Fritz (Fred, b. 1928) and Henry. Joseph worked in sales. After the German annexation of Austria, the Habers began searching for ways to emigrate. In May 1939, Fritz was selected to be one of the "50 children" in Vienna for whom American couple Eleanor and Gilbert Kraus negotiated American visas. They sailed out of Hamburg, Germany on 23 May 1939 on the SS President Harding and the children initially lived in the Brith Sholomville children’s home, in Collegeville, Pennsylvania before being placed in foster homes. Fritz lived with a foster family in Philadelphia until he was reunited with his family in 1940 after they also managed to emigrate from Austria. Fritz would later go into business with his brother Henry. Copyright Holder: Mr. Fred Haber