Metadata: Humanitarian Society “Solidarity” B’nai B’rith Krakow 1924-1938
Collection
- Country:
- Poland
- Holding institution:
- National Archives in Krakow
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archiwum Narodowe w Krakowie
- Postal address:
- ul. Sienna 16, 30-960 Kraków
- Phone number:
- (+48 12) 4224094
- Web address:
- http://ank.gov.pl/
- Email:
- sekretariat@ank.gov.pl
- Reference number:
- 29/557/3.1
- Title:
- Humanitarian Society “Solidarity” B’nai B’rith Krakow 1924-1938
- Title (official language):
- Stowarzyszenie humanitarne "Solidarność" B’nai Brith w Krakowie z l. 1924-1938
- Creator/accumulator:
- B’nai Brith humanitarian association "Solidarity" in Krakow
- Date(s):
- 1924/1938
- Date note:
- 1892-1923, 1924-1938
- Language:
- German
- Polish
- Hebrew
- English
- Extent:
- 59 units
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Graphic material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The B’nai B'rith Humanitarian Association "Solidarity" in Krakow is part of a larger collection that are the Archives of the Union of Jewish Humanitarian Societies B’nai B'rith in the Republic of Poland in Krakow. While this collection focuses on Krakow, it also includes correspondence with other lodges, including "Leopolis" in Lviv, "Montefiore" in Łódź, the Institute of Jewish Studies in Warsaw, the Library for Jewish Children and Youth in Warsaw, B’nai B’rith authorities in Cincinnati and Chicago in the USA, lodges in Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin. The collection reflects the commitment to charitable works of the Jewish intelligentsia from Krakow of lawyers, industrialists, bankers, directors, merchants and university professors. In 1925–1937, B’nai B'rith in Krakow had between 158 and 188 members. Its members were, among others, Leon Ader (president), Majer Bałaban, Ozjasz Thon, Mojżesz Schorr, Markus Braude, Rafał Landau, Edward Feurstein, Maurycy Horowitz. The most valuable records are the members’ personal files (from the end of the 19th century) and foreign correspondence.
BB 280 Register of minutes (1924-1925): condolences and special occasion wishes, discussions regarding the establishment of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, memoirs of deceased members from other lodges, occasional lectures (e.g. Jewish participation in the January Uprising 1863, Jewish life in Egypt in the light of papyrus scrolls), reports on construction (e.g. dormitories), visits of members of other lodges (e.g. Concordia from Katowice), granting a scholarship for a painter, voting for admission of new members, fundraising for the orphanage and Jewish hospital.
BB 281 Register of minutes (1933-1936): current affairs, regulations, election of new officials for the next year, comments on Jewish refugees from Germany, reminders for members of the Committee for Aid for impoverished Jewish people to declare their contributions, organising a trip to Palestine (1934), budget matters, commemorative meeting of the Association of Jewish Women "Visa", lectures "New paths in the face of Nazism" (Dr Józef Steinberg).
BB 283 Miscellaneous 1930-1932: letters to the "Leopolis" B’nai B'rith lodge in Lviv, resolutions negating British policy hindering Jewish settlement in Palestine contrary to the Balfour declaration, invitations to music concerts organised by other lodges, letters from the Institute of Judaic Studies in Warsaw, a request for support from the girls’ school organistion "Beth Jacob", letters from the Library for Jewish children and youth in Warsaw on the dissemination of publications, letters on scholarships for Jewish students of the Academy of Fine Arts.
BB 293: Submissions of candidates for members of BB [1895] 1928, 1930, 1932-1936, also withdrawals from the lodge, letters of recommendation, letters on matters related to the admission of BB directed to Dr. Szymon Feldblum, president of BB, address books of members of BB.
BB 297: Declarations of cash contributions by members of B’nai B'rith Solidarity for the maintenance of the Higher Institute for Jewish Studies in Poland.
BB 299: Personal records. Correspondence with Prof. Majer Bałaban (mainly concerning his scholarly work, lectures and seminars, preparation of the book "Jews in Krakow and Kazimierz", photos of Majer Bałaban, Other records: Benes, Bester, Blatt, Blattberg, records of a lawsuit regarding buying and selling real estate Dr. Bulwa, surnames Geldwart, Goldberger, Goldwasser, Greif (invitations to a wedding in a progressive synagogue), greeting cards, letters justifying absences at meetings.
BB 309: Personal records: Rapaport, Rattler, Ritterman, questionnaires, greeting cards (e.g. for taking up a position in the bar association), applications for membership of the association, pre-trial files regarding rent arrears (Ratz), invitations for weddings, letters of recommendation for new members.
BB 317: Invitations from the Jewish Handicrafts Association "Shomer Umonim" for celebrations of its 60th anniversary, applications for aid from Jewish students at the Gdańsk University of Technology, invitations to the opening of the Museum of the Jewish Religious Community in Lviv (Rabbi Freund), invitations from the "Jewish Theatre in Krakow", an invitation to Novi Sad in Serbia for the opening of the “Jüdisches Landes-Waisenhaus”.
BB 328: Applications for aid from people leaving for Palestine, B’nai B'rith subsidy for the Gemilath Chasudim Association.
- Archival history:
- The records of the association of the Union of Jewish Humanitarian Associations B’nai Brith in the Polish Republic were taken over by the Grodzkie Starostwo in 1940 and in the same year by the State Archives in Krakow. They were stored in a depot at 54 Grodzka Street. Some of the records were taken over in 1951-1952 by the Security Committee in Warsaw. In 1957, the records were taken over by the Central Archives of Modern Records in Warsaw. There, they were partially lost and, additionally, some were destroyed when they were returned to the State Archives in Krakow. In the years 1958-1983 the B’nai Brith fonds was included in the Starostwo Grodzkie collection in Krakow.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Jewish Association B'nai B'rith in the Republic of Poland (Polin Lodge), which is a branch of the international associations B'nai B'rith, was founded in Krakow in 1922. It was a Jewish charitable and cultural organisation of a Masonic (Freemasonry) nature, which was involved in organising financial assistance for victims of war, political refugees, widows, orphans. The Krakow lodge was founded in 1892. The headquarters was located at Gertrudy st. 7. In 1892-1922 it was subordinated to the Grand Lodge in Vienna and then to the General Committee of the Grand Lodge in Poland. The lodge was ruled by a Committee of Officials headed by its president. The beneficiaries of B’nai Brith in Krakow were, among others, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Board for the Protection of Jewish Art in Lviv, Jewish Scientific Institute in Vilnius and the charitable organisation Keren haYesod. Only adults of "flawless character" were allowed to become members. Krakow B’nai Brith was dissolved by a presidential decree in 1938 and reactivated in 2007.
- Access points: locations:
- Krakow
- Access points: persons/families:
- Bałaban, Majer
- Feldblum, Szymon
- Steinberg, Józef
- System of arrangement:
-
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 276-29 / 557/0 / 3.1 / 277 regulations
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 279 Correspondence of the Society B’nai Brith "Solidarity" humanitarian association with the Grand Lodge VIII in Berlin, the Association of Jewish Societies Hum. BB RP
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 280-29 / 557/0 / 3.1 / 281 protocols
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 283-29 / 557/0 / 3.1 / 284 organisational, political and economic matters, correspondence with lodges
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 285-29 / 557/0 / 3.1 / 286 jubilees, honorary diplomas
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 288 dispute between the Steinberg brothers
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 289, 29/557/0 / 3.1 / 290 organisational matters
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 292 correspondence
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 294 membership lists
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 298-29 / 557/0 / 3.1 / 310 personal files
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 311 care of orphans
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 314-29 / 557/0 / 3.1 / 315 applications for subsidies
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 316 support for poor pupils and students
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 317 cooperation with sport associations
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 318 requests addressed to B’nai Brith regarding help for the poorest
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 320 correspondence on educational matters
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 325-29 / 557/0 / 3.1 / 327 property and financial matters
29/557/0 / 3.1 / 329-29 / 557/0 / 3.1 / 334 financial statements
- Access, restrictions:
- Microfilms, scans or photocopies are retrieved if available. Retrieval of original copies requires permission from the director.
- Finding aids:
-
Archiwum Związku Żydowskich Stowarzyszeń Humanitarnych "B'nei B’rith" w Krakowie (1892-1938).
Zarys dziejów związku, historia zespołu i inwentarz, ed. B. Czajecka, Kraków 1994.
Online finding aids are also available.
- Yerusha Network member:
- The Taube Department of Jewish Studies of the University of Wrocław
- Author of the description:
- Przemysław Zarubin, Kraków, 2018
