Leopold Levy family papers

Erica Levy (born Gudrun Erika Levy, 1931-2007) was born in Viersen, Germany to Leopold (b. 1895) and Laura (née Liffgens, 1895-1975) Levy and had two sisters: Carole (1916-2009) and Irene (b. 1917). In 1938, Erica was sent to Brussels, Belgium, with her sister, Carole, where she attended a convent. Her parents and Irena later left for London with the hopes to immigrate to the United States. After much effort from her parents and with the help of several aid organization including the Jewish Refugee Committee and the Movement for the Care of Children, Erica and Carole were reunited with their parents in London, England in May 1940. The family immigrated to the United States in September 1940. The Levy family papers include correspondence, immigration documentation, property lists, and photographs relating to the Levy family’s prewar life in Germany and preparation for immigration to the United States through London in 1940. Included are letters to the American Consulate in Geneva, Switzerland, correspondence and documentation relating to efforts to bring Erica Levy from Belgium to England and to obtain visas to the United States, and family correspondence describing the fate of other Levy family members unable to flee Germany.