Anneliese Riess Collection
Scope and Content Note
The bulk of the collection contains personal correspondence and family papers. Many of these papers document the emigration efforts of Anneliese Riess and her family. Some of the papers concern Elsa Riess, the sister of Anneliese, who had gone missing for several months and was ultimately located in a concentration camp. There are also family portraits, postcard albums and poetry albums.
Dates
- Creation: 1882-2001
- Creation: Majority of material found in 1933-1948
Creator
- Riess, Anneliese, 1910-2005 (Person)
Language of Materials
The collection is in German, English, Italian and French.
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers.
Access Information
Readers may access the collection by visiting the Lillian Goldman Reading Room at the Center for Jewish History. We recommend reserving the collection in advance; please visit the LBI Online Catalog and click on the "Request" button.
Biographical Note
Anneliese Riess was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1910 to Albert Reiss and Philippine Riess née Stargardt. Anneliese Riess began her university studies in Berlin and completed them in Rome. After earning a doctorate in archeology from Deutsches Archäologisches Institut in 1936, Riess struggled to find employment of any kind. In 1937, she entered a child nursing program at École des Amies de L’Enfance in Geneva, Switzerland. After earning her certificate, Riess resided in Turin, Italy until her visa was revoked. She immigrated to the United States in 1939 and settled in New York City.
Albert Riess was born in 1879 in Gnoien, Mecklenberg-Vorpommern and was educated in Seesan am Harz, Niedersachsen. In 1907, Albert married Philippine Stargardt in Berlin and the couple later raised three children: Elsa, Hans and Anneliese. While his young family lived in Hamburg, Albert served in the German army during World War I on the Eastern front in Poland, Latvia, and the Ukraine. After the war, Albert moved his family to Berlin where he lived until he immigrated to the United States in 1938. He died ten years later in New York City.
Extent
2 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection documents the life of Anneliese Riess and her family. The bulk of the collection contains correspondence that reflects the impact of fascism and anti-Semitic policies on her personal life and on her immediate family.
Arrangement
The collection is divided into three series.
- Series I: Correspondence, 1926 - 1980
- Subseries 1: to Anneliese Riess, 1926-1959
- Subseries 2: from Anneliese Riess, 1933-1959
- Series II: Family Papers, 1827-1987
- Subseries 1: Genealogy and Family Registers, 1847-1986
- Subseries 2: General and Correspondence, 1860-1987
- Subseries 3: Albert Riess, 1891-2001
- Subseries 4: Philippine Riess, 1884-1958
- Series III: Writings, 1996-1999
Digitization Note
This collection was digitized in its entirety. Access to folders 40 and 45 is restricted due to privacy concerns. Researchers with questions regarding suppressed materials may contact the LBI Archivist at lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org.
Separated Material
Family portraits were moved to the LBI Photograph Collection.
One embroidered ring with multicolored stones and one iron World War I service ring have been removed to the LBI Art and Objects Collection.
Processing Information
Correspondence had been arranged chronologically prior to processing.
Subject
- Riess, Anneliese, 1910-2005 (Person)
- Riess, Albert, 1897-1948 (Person)
- Riess, Philippine, 1884-1969 (Person)
- Stargardt, Adolph, 1847-1937 (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Anneliese Riess Collection 1882-2001 (bulk 1933) AR 10019
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Angela Lawrence
- Date
- © 2011
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Sponsor
- Described, encoded, and digitized as part of the CJH Holocaust Resource Initiative, made possible by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany.
Revision Statements
- 2014: dao links and digitization information added by Leanora Lange.
- November 2015: dao links for box 2 and digitization note updated by Leanora Lange.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository
