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Gherda Kagan at a children's party at her Frebel teacher Wilhelmina's dacha

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This is me, Gherda Kagan, (the first from the left in the upper row) at a children's party at our Frebel teacher Wilhelmina's dacha) at a children's party at our Frebel teacher Wilhelmina's dacha. This photo was made in Odessa in 1936. I attended classes of a Frebel teacher. Her name was Wilhelmina and she was German. We, kids, called her Tante Minna. My parents sent me there hoping that I would study German, but all we learned was 'Oh, tanenbaum'. She taught us embroidery and modeling. Wilhelmina lived at the dacha in Srednefontanskaya Street. Every now and then some men visited her. She called them nephews. We, children, couldn't stand them. After the war I got to know that Wilhelmina's place was an office of German intelligence and her 'nephews' were agents. It was a smart disguise: children, dancing classes and holidays.

Centropa Collection acquired by 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.