Story 1: Oscar

The life of the DPs in transit and in the camps was mostly accompanied by loss and lack of personal belongings and material possessions. The camp entry kit, which was issued from June 1947, consisted only of the bare essentials and included:

• 1 towel
• 1 bar of soap
• 1 set of eating utensils (i.e. knife, fork, spoon, plate and cup)
• 1 set of blanket

According to instructions this kit was given to every new arrival.

Oscar went into a mild hysteria when his suitcase went missing. The suitcase was “his last remaining worldly possessions.” Welfare workers in the camp described Oscar as a honest man who has not lost his bearing as a lawyer and his dignity as a person. 

Based on archival records from the United Nations Archive, Vatican Apostolic Archive, Arolsen Archives, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.