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Erhan Family Papers
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Consists of family papers, books, photographs, and postcards donated by Ebru Erhan-Erkut, granddaughter of Ahmet Münir Erhan (also spelled Ahmed Münir Erhan), who served in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). The collection centers on Erhan and his descendents, though it also contains materials that document members of the related Okçuoğlu and Atabekoğlu families. The collection also includes research files related to Turkey and Turkish Jews.
Materials include identification documents, such as TBMM IDs and an Ottoman passport for Ahmed Münir Erhan, as well as Turkish Republic identity booklets for other family members, such as Mustafa Semih. Also included is a Turkish Republic diplomatic passport for Münir Bey, who was another grandfather of the donor. Additionally, the collection contains financial documents in envelopes addressed to Bursa Mebusu Münir Beyefendi, Bay Münir Erhan, and Bay Ahmed Münir Erhan. Photographs in the collection largely feature Semih Erhan, Ahmet Münir Erhan, and various places in Turkey such as Bodrum and Istanbul. Other materials relate to Merih Okçuoğlu Erhan's legal education and law credentials, school records such as report cards and a high school diploma for Semih Erhan, and documents related to Ziya Atabekoğlu and Mustafa Nuri Okçuoğlu.
Materials are mostly in Turkish, with some documents in Ottoman Turkish or English. The research files are primarily in English.
Items are physically arranged in the order in which they were received from the Princeton University Department of Near Eastern Studies. The archivist grouped them into the following categories: Identification Documents, Financial Documents, Photographs, and Other Documents and Ephemera. Publications that are included in the collection are listed individually.
The collection materials were gifted to the Princeton University Department of Near Eastern Studies from Ms. Ebru Erhan-Erkut in January 2018.
The papers were donated by Ebru Erhan-Erkut, granddaughter of Ahmet Münir Erhan. Her father, Semih Erhan, emigrated to the United States with his family and was the collection's primary compiler.
Transferred from the Princeton University Department of Near Eastern Studies in March 2023 (AM 2025-052).
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
Collection processed and described by Lauren C. Williams in December 2024-February 2025, incorporating information provided in an inventory created by the Princeton University Department of Near Eastern Studies and with input from William M. Blair.
In April 2025, Amy C. Vo processed and described the research files which were part of the initial acquisition. Description of these materials also utilized the information from the above mentioned inventory.
No materials were removed from the collection during 2024-2025 processing.
People
Organization
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Author
- Lauren C. Williams
- Finding Aid Date
- 2025
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
Collection Inventory
Contains: 3 TBMM IDs and 1 Ottoman passport for Ahmed Münir Erhan; 1 Turkish Republic diplomatic passport for Münir Bey; Two Hariciye Vekâleti pay books for Ahmet Münir Erhan; and 3 Turkish Republic identity booklets (for Mustafa Semih, Ahmed Münir, and Hafize(?) (?) Hanım). Some of the documents include a photograph of its holder.
Physical Description1 folder
Contains financial documents in envelopes addressed to: Bursa Mebusu Münir Beyefendi, Bay Münir Erhan, and Bay Ahmed Münir Erhan. Also includes an envelope with 13 documents (2 with official stamps) in Ottoman Turkish and an envelope with a letter from Ministère d'Affaires Étrangères, Empire d' Ethiopie. While most of the documents are from 1910s-1957, one or two documents are from earlier (1890s-1900s).
Physical Description1 folder
Consists of photographs of various family members, such as Semih Erhan and Ahmet Münir Erhan. Includes group portraits, individual portraits, and photographs and postcards of places such as Bodrum and Istanbul. Some individual people are identified, such as Mustafa Nuri Okçuoğlu, Ziya Atabekoğlu, and A. Munir Bey.
Physical Description4 folders
Contains documents related to Merih Okçuoğlu Erhan's legal education and law credentials, school records such as report cards and a high school diploma for Semih Erhan, and documents related to Ziya Atabekoğlu and Mustafa Nuri Okçuoğlu. Also includes some correspondence and a 4-page, handwritten genealogy of the Erhan family.
Physical Description6 folders
T. B. M. M. Album: Dönem VII, Toplantı 3. 6 Kasım 1945. [Ankara]: T. B. M. M. Basımevi, 1945.
Physical Description1 item
Özder, Mustafa Âdil. Tarihte Çıldır Atabeğleri ve Torunları. Erzurum: [s.n.], 1971.
This publication includes a family tree at the back of the volume.
Physical Description1 item
Güçlü, Demet. "Ülker Muncuk Okçuoğlu ve Batik Sanatına Katkıları." Mezuniyet tezi, Gazi Üniversitesi Meslek Eğitim Fakültesi Uygulamalı Sanatlar Eğitim Bölümü, Haziran 2000.
Physical Description1 item
The research files consist of offprints, photocopies of articles, a few periodicals, and other documents related to Turkey and Turkish Jews. Materials include:
Ankara Fen Fakültesi Kuruluş Süreci: Ilk On Yıl. Word document draft.
*Nışadır: Mizahî Dergi 1950, 1952 (Yıl 4, sayı 4), 1954(?), 1955(?). "Fen Fakültesi Öğrenci Derneği tarafından yılda bir defa çıkarılır." Issues in photocopy.
"Cumhuriyet Mahkemesinde Kadın Hukukçular." Poster.
Abramowitz, Major. "For over 500 years Turkey has been an oasis for the Jewish Community." Miami Jewish Tribune November 15–21, 1991. Photocopy.
"500 years of peace and harmony in Turkey: 'İnsanlığa Örnek'." Turkish Airlines Skylife 1992. Photocopy.
Goell, Yosef. "An Old Moslem Friend in a Hostile Region." Jerusalem Post International Edition. Week ending September 29, 1990, p. 9. Photocopy.
Güleryüz, Naim. "The History of the Turkish Jews: A Brief Review." Condensed from a lecture by Mr. Naim Güleryüz, spokesman for the 500th Year Fund, historian and community leader. August 1989. Photocopy.
Güleryüz, Naim. "Turkey and the Jews: An example to the world." Jewish Education News Winter 1992. Photocopy.
J. H. "Turkish Jews Celebrate 500th Anniversary." Near East Report 35, no. 1 (January 7, 1991). Photocopy.
Bir, Cevik, and Martin Sherman. "Formula for Stability: Turkey Plus Israel." TAFSUS, 2003. Photocopy.
Kohen, Sami. "Turkish Jewry: Still Changing after All These Years." Jewish Monthly April 1991. Photocopy.
Levenson, Gabe. "Feting Turkish hospitality." Jewish Week (New York) January 3–9, 1992. Photocopy.
"Turkish welcome celebrated." Jewish Star (Edison, NJ) November 22, 1991. Photocopy.
"Quincentennial Celebrations Planned." Jerusalem Post International Edition. Week ending September 29, 1990, p. 9. Photocopy.
Quincentennial Foundation of Istanbul (U.S.A.). [Various materials relating to the 500th anniversary of the immigrations of the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 and to the activities of the Foundation].
Silver, Eric. "Turkish Delight." Jerusalem Report November 14, 1991.
Silverstein, Marilyn. "A Love Affair with Turkey: Jewish Education Brings Istanbul's Rhythms Home." October 21, 1994. Newspaper clipping.
Güvenç, Bozkurt. "Cultural Life in Turkey Today: Origins, Dynamics and Prospects of Multiculturalism." Keynote address for the Workshop on Library Services to Turks Living Abroad, organized jointly by IFLA and ROTNAC. Istanbul, 24 August 1995. Photocopy.
Halman, Talat S. "From Babylon to 'Libre-Space.'" Original text of the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 61st IFLA Council and General Conference. Delivered (on August 21, 1995) with numerous additions, deletions, and other changes, which are not included in the text below. Photocopy.
Ünver, A. Süheyl. "History of Ottoman Medicine." Typescript.
Conference packet from the Assembly of Turkish American Associations 2002 conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Physical Description1 box