Lost Art Applications Offer Glimpse into Nazi Escape Attempts

In a significant find, archives in Jerusalem have revealed a trove of documents from the Bezalel art school, dating back to the 1930s. These materials, comprising photographs, letters, and artwork samples, detail nearly 100 applications from Jewish individuals desperately seeking to escape Nazism. Acceptance to Bezalel offered a potential path to Palestine, then under British Mandate and tightly controlling immigration.

The collection was discovered in 2022, and researchers at Yad Vashem are now meticulously studying the files. Orit Noiman of Yad Vashem described the collection as "very, very special," noting that while some applicants survived, "most of the applicants we've looked at up until now were killed." The applications came from across Europe, including major cities like Vienna and Prague.

Researchers believe the documents were accidentally left behind when Bezalel relocated in 1990. Many applicants may not have been career artists but used their artistic skills as a desperate means to flee persecution. Correspondence indicates efforts by the school's director, Josef Budko, and the Jewish Agency to facilitate rescues, securing immigration certificates and financial support.

Of the 49 candidates accepted, only 27 successfully traveled to Jerusalem. The fates of others varied: some emigrated elsewhere, some never received their acceptance due to wartime disruptions, and many were unable to leave Europe and were later murdered. The discovery includes personal stories, like that of sisters Alice and Susanne Fall, who applied jointly but were both rejected. Alice perished in the Łódź Ghetto, while Susanne survived and eventually reached Palestine.

Another applicant, Eva Israel, received an acceptance just weeks before Kristallnacht and narrowly secured her travel certificate to Haifa in March 1939. Helmut Paskusz, a medical student and artist, was rejected days before the war began and later perished. Marie Ellinger, an 18-year-old fashion illustrator, was also rejected and subsequently murdered. Samuel Zimmerman, a sculptor seeking to teach, was rejected due to a lack of available positions and is believed to have died on a transport to Israel. Zahava Rosen, a survivor, applied after the war and successfully studied weaving and embroidery at Bezalel.