Toni Ehrlich’s diaries

Collection

Identifier: ME 1594 / MM III 23

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The diaries of Toni Ehrlich – 29 handwritten notebooks – document her life on an almost day to day basis, beginning on April 1, 1906 and ending with a single word (“Lo”, meaning “no” in Hebrew) on October 21, 1969. Her thoughts and observations concentrate mostly on matters and issues of art and culture, as well as – to a lesser degree – current events. Private matters, including life changing ones - like her husband’s death -, are mentioned on the side, if at all. The original diaries in old German handwriting are accompanied by detailed summaries in English and a list of names, provided by Irene Miller.

Dates

Creation: 1906-1969

Creator

Ehrlich, Toni, 1880-1969 (Person)

Language of Materials

The collection is in German.

Access Restrictions

Open to researchers.

Access Information

Diaries are digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.

Diaries are microfilmed (MM III 23).

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.

Use Restrictions

There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:

Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011

email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org

Biographical Note

Toni Ehrlich, née Goldschmidt was born 1880 as the youngest daughter of Siegfried Goldschmnidt and his wife Flora, née Rother in Breslau (today Wrocław in Poland). She received an exquisite education, which was enhanced by traveling and visiting the cultural centers of Europe from an early age on. She studied art history and remained an expert in the field throughout her life. In 1906 she got married to Martin Ehrlich, with whom she had two daughters, Lore and Ewa. After his premature death she sustained her family by teaching privately in Breslau. In 1939 she emigrated to Palestine, where she settled in Haifa and continued to teach art history. Toni Ehrlich died in 1969 in Haifa, Israel.

Extent

1.5 Linear Feet (3 boxes)

Additional Description

Abstract

The diaries of Toni Ehrlich provide an in-depth look into the life of a highly educated woman from an upper-middle class background, spanning the first half of the 20th century.