Kutnowski-Kupferminc family. Collection

Kazerne Dossin Research Centre Jankiel Kutnowski, husband of Anna (Chana) Kupferminc, was registered on 17 September 1942 at the Dossin barracks as person 1066 on transport list XI. This train left Mechelen on 26 September 1942 and arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau on 28 September 1942. On arrival, Jankiel was selected as a forced labourer. The number 66265 was tattooed on his arm. Jankiel was transferred to Birkenau in October 1942 and to Warsaw in October 1943. On 6 August 1944 he arrived in Dachau and was then sent to Mühldorf, where he was liberated by the American army on 30 April 1945. Jankiel was repatriated to Belgium on 16 May 1945. In 1951 he was awarded the title of political prisoner for his patriotic activities. Hersz Zelman Kutnowski followed the same path as his brother Jankiel. He was deported to France in 1942 as an OT-worker before being registered as person 451 on transport list XVII. This train left northern France on 31 October 1942 and arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau on 3 November 1942. On arrival, Hersz Zilman Kutnowski was selected as a forced labourer. The number 72597 was tattooed on his arm. After that, all trace of Hersz was lost. He died in a place, on a date and in circumstances unknown to us. Lajbus Kupferminc, his wife Sara Kupferminc, their daughter Anna (Chana) Kupferminc, their son Aron Kupferminc, his wife Chawa Laja Ajzenfisz and their daughter Hilda Kupferminc were arrested at the beginning of April 1943 in Brussels in circumstances unknown to us. They were registered at the Dossin barracks on 7 April 1943, where they were given the numbers 1414 to 1419 on the transport XX list. This train left Mechelen on 19 April 1943 and arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau on 22 April 1943. Unfortunately, we do not know what happened to Lajbus and Sara Kupferminc after their arrival. Given that Hilda Kupferminc was only 4 years old, it is likely that she and her mother Chawa Laja Ajzenfisz were sent directly to the gas chamber. Anna (Chana) and Aron Kupferminc were selected as forced labourers. The number 42623 was tattooed on Anna's arm. She was interned in Birkenau and survived the death march to Ravensbrück in early 1945. She was later interned in Retzof and Neustadt, where she was liberated by the American army on 8 May 1945. On 16 July 1945, she was repatriated to Belgium. Anna was recognised as a political prisoner in 1958. Aron Kupferminc also survived deportation. The number 117581 was tattooed on his arm. Aron survived 20 months in Auschwitz-Monowitz and the death marches to Buchenwald and Dora, where he was liberated by the American army on 11 April 1945. Aron was repatriated to Belgium on 12 May 1945. He emigrated to Israel in 1946. Leon Kutnowski was also deported by transport XX. He was registered at the Dossin barracks on 2 February 1943 as person 383 on the deportation list. However, he was able to jump from the train. Leo was recaptured on 29 March 1944 under the false name of Leib Silberstein. He was transferred to Breendonk and from there deported to Buchenwald on 6 May 1944, where he was executed as a terrorist. Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu This collection contains: one copy of the ruling of the Brussels Military Court of 5 December 1950 on Max Boden, one handwritten Hebrew letter, one written letter to “grandpa”, five extracts/attestations from the population registers of Anderlecht, Saint-Gilles and Brussels for Kutnowski and Kupferminc family members and two inscription certificates of Jankiel Kutnowski in both the population register of Schaarbeek and Charleroi, nine photos showing Aron Kupferminc, Anna Chana Kupferminc, Schlomo Kutnowski, Hersz Kutnowski and Jankiel Kutnowski, twelve attests of deportation or death concerning Louis Berliner, Leon (Baruch Lejb) Kutnowski, Schlomo Kutnowski, Jankiel Kutnowski (by Leibus Guttman and Mendel Szteijnberg), Hersz Zelman Kutnowski (written by Israel Rozenmuter) and Anna Chana Kupferminc, eight news articles about the Holocaust and the Kutnowski family, nineteen identification/repatriation cards on the name of Anna Chana Kupferminc, Aron Kupferminc, Rywka Piepz, Abram Kutnowski and Jankiel Kutnowski seventeen copies of documents sent by Kazerne Dossin to the Kutnowski family, one birth certificate of Maximilien Kutnowski, seven decisions concerning the political prisoner status of Anna Chana Kupferminc and Jankiel Kutnowski, one invitation to the wedding of Anna Chana Kupferminc & Jankiel Kutnoswki, two attestations of the wedding of Anna Chana Kupferminc & Jankiel Kutnoswki, three transcripts of questionings with Anna Chana Kupferminc and corresponding reports seven letters about receiving sums of money for Anna Chana Kupferminc as a former prisoner during the war and attesting her being alive, two letters from the foundation for contemporary memory, five letters from the state pension office concerning a recent examination of Anna Chana Kupferminc’s left arm and her disability, one letter to the Wiener Library about an interview done with Jankiel Kutnoswki, one envelope from the Wiener Library with a Holocaust-related quote from Anna Chana Kupferminc, two envelopes including two letters addressed to Maximilien Kutnowski sent by Halina Berliner, one letter from a lawyer to Rosa Littmann, one letter concerning the retrieval of documents from Schlomo Kutnowski, one letter written by Jankiel Kutnowski in Toulouse in 1940, one letter about receiving sums of money for Jankiel Kutnowski, one certificate/attest of morality concerning Jankiel Kutnowski, six pins/lanyards belonging to Jankiel Kutnowski for him being an ex-prisoner during the war, one brevet for Jankiel Kutnowski being awarded the decoration of being chevalier in the order of Leopold II, one in memoriam for Leon Kutnowski,and one paper-art card made in Sweden