Lövinsohn family papers

Hella Roubicek (née Lövinsohn, also known as Hella Lonsen) was born on June 20, 1926 in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany to Werner Lövinsohn (Lonsen) and Edith Lövinsohn (née Levy, also known as Edith Lonsen, b. October 20, 1892). Her sister is Rita Hubbard (née Lövinsohn). During Kristallnacht, Werner was arrested. Rita, who was living in the United States, assisted her father in emigrating from Germany to Cuba. While in Cuba Werner obtained permits for Edith and Hella to travel to Cuba aboard the MS St. Louis. After being denied entry to Cuba and the United States, Edith and Hella Lövinsohn disembarked in Belgium. Werner Lövinsohn immigrated to the United States, and in February 1940 Edith and Hella Lövinsohn joined him. On October 22, 1940, Hella became a naturalized citizen in Chicago, Illinois. Hella married Frank Roubicek (1911-2006). They had two daughters, Eva Schmidt and Lisa Eden. Hella Roubicek died in 2000. The Lövinsohn family papers relate to Edith Lövinsohn and Hella Roubicek’s (née Lövinsohn) experience aboard the MS St. Louis. The papers include correspondence sent to Edith from the Hamburg-American Line while aboard the MS St. Louis, a German passport, Cuban immigration cards, photographs of Hella Roubicek taken aboard the MS St. Louis, and views of Cuba and immigration officials on boats in the harbor, as well as two menus for meals served aboard the MS St. Louis. Also included is a Sächsische Schulzeitung newspaper published in Dresden, Germany, dated April 20, 1933, with Adolf Hitler featured on the cover.