Record Groups
Images
Metadata
Collection |
Werner Michel Papers |
Object Name |
Collection |
Catalog Number |
RG-145 |
Dates of Creation |
1935 - 2006 |
Extent of Description |
0.3 linear feet (1 box) |
Admin/Biographical History |
Werner Michel was born September 2, 1924 in Landau, Germany. After Hitler came to power in 1933, Werner's first experience with anti-Semitism was when his grandfather's antique shop was forcibly boycotted. In early 1934, Werner's parents sent his sister, Ruth, to the United States on one of the earliest transports of children to the United States as part of an effort to relocate Jewish children which spanned from 1934-1945. In 1936, schools in Landau were closed to Jewish students, and Werner was forbidden to attend. On November 26, 1936, Werner was placed on a transport following his sister. Werner left Hamburg, Germany on the S.S. New York and disembarked in New York, afterwards taking a train to St. Louis, Missouri where an American family had offered to take him in. At 12 years old, Werner knew no English and was placed in kindergarten upon his arrival in St. Louis. In 1938, his mother was able to obtain a visa to travel to the United States, and Werner was reunited with his mother and sister. His father, Ludwig, fled to France but was unable to get a work permit. Arrested in Belgium in 1941, Ludwig was sentenced to three years of hard labor. Eventually declared unfit to work, he was sent to Auschwitz where he later died. Werner's mother, who spoke no English, struggled to support the family in St. Louis. She rented rooms out to other immigrants, and Werner eventually began working at his brother-in-law's company after his sister's marriage. He also began drilling with the Missouri National Guard. In 1943, Werner enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the Armor Replacement Training Center at Fort Knox where he became a naturalized citizen. Werner was soon commissioned as an Infantry officer; however, once the Army found out about his German language ability, he was transferred to Intelligence. Werner remained in the Army for 31 years, serving through the Vietnam War. He retired from the Army as a Colonel in 1974. In 1976, as a civilian, he helped to establish the office of the Inspector General for Intelligence, becoming the Inspector General himself in 1980. In 1982, he was named the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Oversight and retired in 1993. |
Copyrights |
No restriction on use. |
Language of Material |
English |
Scope & Content |
The Werner Michel Papers focus largely on the life of Werner Michel. These papers include biographical materials, photographs, correspondence, and a selection of documents pertaining to Werner Michel's selection as one of the "One Thousand Children" transported to the United States between 1934 and 1945. Folder 1 contains information on the materials Werner donated to the museum, including a letter describing his scheduled interview and a donation agreement. Folder 2 contains biographical materials that include a full biographical sketch and last known contact information for Werner. Folder 3 consists of information regarding the One Thousand Children organization and several documents complied by the organization on the history of relocating Jewish children to the United States. Folder 4 has email correspondence between the Virginia Holocaust Museum and Denise Michel, Werner's daughter, regarding the desire to conduct an interview about his experiences. Folder 5 has photocopies and translations of the correspondence pertaining to Werner's selection for transport to the United States, including requests for documents needed for his transport and finding a foster family to host him in the United States, and Folder 6 contains photocopies and translations of the required documents and Werner's child identification card. Folder 7 contains several copies of photos of Werner and his parents. Finally, Folder 8 holds a photocopy of Werner's naturalization certificate, dated 1943. |
Subjects |
Landau, Germany Hamburg, Germany St. Louis, Missouri, United States Fort Knox, Kentucky, United States Auschwitz Concentration Camp S.S. New York One Thousand Children United States Army Reichsvertretung der Deutschen Juden Verwaltung der Israelitischen Kultusgemeinde Landau/Pfalz Wohlfahrtsstelle des Verbandes der Israelitischen Kultusgemeinden der Pfalz Jüdische Auswandererberatungsstelle für Mannheim, Pfalz, Saargebiet, Südhessen Hilfsverein der Juden in Deutschland |
Imagefile |
003\RG145.JPG |
Relation |
Show Related Records... |
Oral History |
Werner Michel (2006) |