Olga Kouperman-Bernheim archives

Collection

Scope and content:: This fonds mainly contains correspondence, identity papers primarily related to Olga Kouperman-Bernheim and her husband Paul Bernheim, as well as photos. (see boxes 294 to 298)

Administrative/biographical history:: Olga Kouperman-Bernheim, the wife of Paul Bernheim and sister of Henri Richard Kouperman, was born in Paris in 1906 and died in Brussels in 1993. Her family came to Brussels just before the First World War. She married Paul Bernheim, a brilliant engineer who worked for Sofina, in 1933. Their daughter Jacqueline was born in 1938. The family was denounced in May 1944, arrested in France and deported to Auschwitz. Only Olga Kouperman survived. She became a building manager. Kouperman had a passion for painting, and was active in the Fraternelle of B’nai B’rith, the Amicale d’Auschwitz and the Service Social Juif. She also founded the Fondation Jacqueline Bernheim in memory of her daughter; this foundation offers holiday grants to promising youths and helps fund the Beth-Lechem, the Magbit and the KKL. (E. Wulliger & J.-P. Schreiber, "Bernheim-Kouperman, Olga", in J.-P. Schreiber, Dictionnaire biographique des Juifs de Belgique. Figures du judaïsme belge, XIXe-XXe siècles, Bruxelles, De Boeck, 2002, p. 202; "Olga Kouperman-Bernheim 3 février 1906 – 19 mai 1993", in La Centrale, no. 261, September 1993.)

Access, restrictions:: Access requires the authorisation of the archivist of the Jewish Museum of Belgium.

Finding aids:: There is a preliminary inventory of the Jewish Museum of Belgium.