Call Number:

SCRC 509

Repository:

Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center

Extent:

0.2 linear feet (1 box)

Language:

French, English, Dutch; Flemish, and Polish

Preferred Citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Bernard Mednicki Papers, SCRC 509, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Date:

1930-1991 (inclusive)

Creator:

Mednicki, Bernard, 1910-1995

Form:

Clippings, Correspondence, Immigration records, Maps, and Photographs

Abstract:

Bernard Mednicki was born November 13, 1910, to Leon Mednicki and Zlata Lansman in Brussels, Belgium. From 1940 to 1944, Mednicki, his wife, Chana, and their two children Armand (Avram) and Eliane lived in southern France after the Nazis invaded Belgium. The family hid their Jewish identity, pretending to be Protestant. Mednicki eventually joined the Maquis (French resistance fighters), fighting until France was liberated. Mednicki and his family immigrated to Philadelphia in 1947. He worked as an orthopedic brace maker. Mednicki died January 2, 1995.

The collection consists of correspondence during and after World War II including letters addressed to Mednicki from family members and letters from Captain Robert Duhin, who Mednicki fought alongside in the Maquis. The collection also consists of maps of Germany and France tracing Mednicki's escape from Nazi occupation and wartime experiences; identity, immigration, and other documents for Bernard and his wife, Chana, all of which are in Dutch, French, or Polish; and newspaper articles and photographs. Also included, is a short reminiscence by Mednicki's nephew, Charles Rojer about his experiences in Brussels during the war and his immigration to the United States in 1948 at the age of thirteen. The bulk of the wartime correspondence is in French. Most non-English language documents in the collection are accompanied by short English descriptions or labels.