Stern and Pächter family papers

The Stern and Pächter family papers include biographical material, correspondence, testimonies, cookbooks, poems, and documents relating to Mina Pächter, Anny Stern, and their family’s experiences in Prague and Theresienstadt. The collection includes a document instructing Mina to report to Theresienstadt, copies of Mina’s biography and the Pächter family tree, letters from Mina to her daughter, Anny, and one of her sister, Red Cross letters from Mina to her son-in-law Georg and from Josef Stern to Fritz Lederer, copies of transcripts of Anny Stern and Elisabeth Laufer’s oral testimony, a copy of a newspaper clipping about Mina’s cookbooks, and documents relating to Anny’s work at the emigration office in Prague. The collection also includes cookbooks and poems compiled by Mina and other prisoners in Theresienstadt as well as copies and some translations of the recipes and poems. Before Mina died in Theresienstadt, she gave the cookbooks, letters, and photographs to a friend in the camp and ask him to give them to her daughter. The package changed hands several times, but Anny received the package in 1969, 25 years later. Wilhelmina “Mina” Pächter (née Stein, 1873-1944) was born in Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czechoslovakia (currently Czech Republic). Mina married Adolf Pächter (1846-1915) in 1900 and they had two children, Heinz (1904-1965) and Anny (later Anna, 1907-1995) as well as six children from Adolf’s two previous marriages. They lived in Děčín where Adolf owned a button factory. After Adolf’s death in 1915, Mina became and art dealer to support the family. In 1930, Anny married Georg (later George) Stern and they had a son, David (b. 1931). Heinz married Kaethe Dorothea and they moved to Israel. After the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938, Mina, Anny, and David fled to Prague. Georg was in the Czech army and joined them later that year. As the situation became worse, Georg and three of his brothers fled to Palestine. In 1939, Anny and David secured the proper paperwork and left for Palestine to reunite with Georg. Anny became involved in helping Jews emigration to Palestine by working as an officer for the Palestine Emigration Office. They immigrated to the United States around 1960. Mina and other family members stayed in Prague and were sent to Theresienstadt in 1942. Mina became very sick and died in 1944. During her imprisonment, Mina wrote poems and kept cookbooks of her own recipes as well as recipes she gathered from others in the camp. Wilhelmina “Mina” Pächter (née Stein, 1873-1944) was born in Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czechoslovakia (currently Czech Republic). Mina married Adolf Pächter (1846-1915) in 1900 and they had two children, Heinz (1904-1965) and Anny (later Anna, 1907-1995) as well as six children from Adolf’s two previous marriages. They lived in Děčín where Adolf owned a button factory. After Adolf’s death in 1915, Mina became and art dealer to support the family. In 1930, Anny married Georg (later George) Stern and they had a son, David (b. 1931). Heinz married Kaethe Dorothea and they moved to Israel. After the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938, Mina, Anny, and David fled to Prague. Georg was in the Czech army and joined them later that year. As the situation became worse, Georg and three of his brothers fled to Palestine. In 1939, Anny and David secured the proper paperwork and left for Palestine to reunite with Georg. Anny became involved in helping Jews emigration to Palestine by working as an officer for the Palestine Emigration Office. They immigrated to the United States around 1960. Mina and other family members stayed in Prague and were sent to Theresienstadt in 1942. Mina became very sick and died in 1944. During her imprisonment, Mina wrote poems and kept cookbooks of her own recipes as well as recipes she gathered from others in the camp.