Liselotte Sperber Collection

This collection documents the life of Liselotte Sperber and her family members. The majority of papers in this collection focus on some of the highlights of her life, such as her pursuit of acting in her younger years, her family life and immigration. The collection is also replete in material relating to the meaningful events in her family members' lives, especially noting their wartime and immigration experiences. The collection consists of correspondence, official documents, educational papers, copies of articles and clippings, and a few photographs.

Material on the noteworthy episodes of Liselotte Sperber's life will primarily be found in the first subseries of Series I. Among the papers in this series are school records for and childhood essays by Liselotte and her older sister Aenne, along with a poetry album inscribed by friends. Her interest in the theater is evidenced by material on various theatrical productions, including a letter from her father referencing her work with the actress Ida Ehre. This series additionally holds papers, primarily congratulations and announcements, on her engagement, marriage and the subsequent birth of her daughter. A few items pertaining to her immigration to the United States are also present in this subseries. Further material on her personal beliefs, especially her political ones, may be found in her correspondence with Reuben ("Rudi") Hecht, located in Subseries 2 of Series II. These letters indicate her early interest in Zionism, as well as in the later politics of Israel and the United States.

Papers that concern Liselotte Sperber's family members, especially her parents, Julius and Margarete Süss, and her husband's parents, Abraham and Malka Sperber, will be found in several locations within this collection. The bulk of Liselotte Sperber's correspondence with family members is located in Subseries 2: Correspondence of Series I. Although a few letters here date from her childhood and earlier years, the majority of letters date from the 1930s and 1940s, when the family members were living in various countries. A prominent theme is the eventual emigration of family members from Nazi-occupied areas of Europe. Some postwar letters of Julius Süss relate to restitution. Other material on family members will be found in Subseries 1 of Series II. This subseries holds papers on various family members, but is especially noteworthy for its material on the immigration of Abraham and Malka Sperber, including their personal correspondence on the topic as well as correspondence with consulates and official paperwork for the acquisition of visas. Another topic addressed frequently in this subseries is the death of Aenne Süss in 1930. Series III comprises papers of and pertaining to Ann Sperber, Liselotte's daughter. Most of this material relates to the creation and publication of her book on Edward R. Murrow, although it also includes some correspondence between herself and her family when she lived for a year abroad.

Series IV contains documentation in the collection that may have been of interest to Liselotte Sperber, but which could not be further separated into the previous series. Much of this material consists of articles and newspaper clippings on various subjects. It includes a few biographies and obituaries as well as documentation on the work of artist Waltraud Suckow.

Series V is an addendum to the collection that comprises material about the cities of Mannheim and Lampertheim as well as correspondence between Liselotte Sperber and the mayors of those cities. It further contains theatre programs of the National Theater of Mannheim mentioning Liselotte Sperber as well as further material of her daughter Ann Sperber and the artist Waltraud Suckow.