This is my father's cousin brother Iohan Zeltser with his family. This photo was taken in Leningrad in 1938.
I remember my father's cousin brother Iohann Zeltser visiting from Leningrad. He was a journalist and wrote scripts to the following movies: 'Happiness hunters' [(1936), about the establishment of the Birobidzhan in the Far East], "Submarine Ò-9", and others, only I don't remember the names. He had a wife and three children. Regretfully, I don't remember their names. We went to the theater during one of uncle Iohann's visits. I admired this gathering of so many people enjoying themselves and nicely dressed. I can't remember the performance, but I remember this festive atmosphere. During the war uncle Iohann was a military journalist. He perished on the battleship 'Marat'. This battleship was near the shore defending Leningrad. It was partially destroyed during a batter. I had no contacts with his family after the war.
Bertha Isayeva’s father's cousin brother Iohan Zeltser with his family
The Centropa Collection at USHMM
The Centropa archive has been acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. USHMM will soon offer a Special Collections page for Centropa.
Academics please note: USHMM can provide you with original language word-for-word transcripts and high resolution photographs. All publications should be credited: "From the Centropa Collection at the United States Memorial Museum in Washington, DC".
Please contact collection [at] centropa.org (collection[at]centropa[dot]org).