This record is made available under an Universal 1.0 Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons license.
This collection is open for research.
This collection was a gift from Mark Friedman and Ron Friedman to the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on 3 December 2025.
Herbert Friedman was born in Vienna on December 11, 1924. He lived with his family in Austria until 1938 when the persecution of Jewish populations in Germany, Austria, and Poland forced the Friedman family's exit from Vienna.
Before he departed from Austria, Herbert Friedman was involved in the rescue of a woman who was drowning in the Danube Canal. Herbert, then 13 years old, and his friend Ernst Fleischer, then 15, garnered media attention in Jewish newspapers. Months later, Vienna fell to German occupation. Herbert's friend, Ernst, died in a concentration camp in 1942.
Due to the publicity from saving a woman's life, Herbert secured an appointment with the Rabbi of Austria. The Rabbi named Herbert as one of the one-thousand children slated for the Kultusgemeinde, a negotiation between the Nazis and Austrians for the transportation of children to safer locations. Herbert left on the Kindertransport to England on December 10, 1938. He remained in England for two years, where he was educated in various schools, the majority of which were bombed out of commission by the German Luftwaffe. For these two years he desperately tried to help his mother and younger sister leave Vienna. His father and brother were already in America living in Baltimore, Maryland with relatives. They could barely speak English and were working low paying jobs which did not allow enough money to help the family members escape. They felt despair that his mother and sister might be deported, as other family members had been.
By December 1940, Herbert joined his family in the United States, where they had secured papers the previous year. Herbert attended Forest Park High School in Baltimore, graduating in 1942. He joined the United States Army soon after, serving in the South Pacific until 1945. Herbert attended the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and was recalled to the Army during the Korean War, in which he served as a First Lieutenant.
This collection contains the personal papers of Herbert Friedman (1924-2006), documenting his survival of the Holocaust from 1938 to 1940 in Vienna, including his two years in England, and his life afterward in the United States Army and as a successful pharmacist in Norfolk, Virginia.
The Holocaust and its memory influenced his life and inspired him to create and share this archive to teach about his experiences and give courage and empathy to others. Friedman's archive primarily chronicles his efforts to get his mother out of Austria, his travel on the Kindertransport to England where he was educated in various schools, the majority of which were bombed out of commission by the German Luftwaffe, and finally in 1940 his immigration to the United States.
The collection came in as two binders of correspondence, family transcriptions, photographs, and notes. The first, labeled "Volume 1" contained information about the desperation of living and trying to escape the persecution of Jewish people in Germany, Austria, and Poland, which forced the Friedman family's exit from Vienna. "Volume 2" contained the correspondence and documents about Herbert Friedman's immigration to England and America. Volumes 3 and 4 contained photographs and writings, materials related to Herbert's later life in the army and his career as a pharmacist, and then his vocation as a speaker and teacher about living through the Holocaust.
The collection contains biographical pieces written by and about Friedman, correspondence with his friends and family, legal identification (Reisepass), official documents about obtaining affidavits that would allow them to leave Austria for abroad, Palestine, Australia, or America and photographs from his youth and time in the army.
The collection includes Herbert's numbered tag "325" that he wore as he fled with the first group of children out of Germany. The correspondence is also the highlight of the collection as the letters from his mother in particular, reveal the fear and urgency with which she needed his help to leave Vienna immediately as she could be deported any minute. The letters are in German, Hebrew, Yiddish,French, and English. Most of the letters are translated into English. All the letters from family and friends begin "Lieber Herbert" or Dear Herbert.
There is also information about daily life, Herbert's Barmitzvah before the invasion, and his swim card which allowed him to go swimming one week before the Nazis took over. There are descriptions about standing in lines at the American Embassy and the intimidation of the Nazis (referred to as "The Black People") who kicked people out of line or beat them if they did not stand upright, or worse, arrested them and sent them to death camps.
There is also genealogical information, research to find out what happened to family members who died at concentration camps, and a framed article honoring Friedman at thirteen years old and his friend Ernst Fleisher (15 years old) for saving a drowning woman in the river in Austria in 1937. There are also letters from officials in the Austrian Government praising Herbert for this act of bravery, as well as letters apologizing for not recognizing his bravery at the time, and for the terrible time for Austrians during the Nazi reign.
The collection also contains four books, some inscribed by friends and family. The books,
Content Warning Note: This collection contains racial imagery typical for the time that contemporary viewers may find offensive. The purpose of this note is to give users the opportunity to decide whether they need or want to view these materials, or at least, to mentally or emotionally prepare themselves to view the materials.
Nusyn David (Frydman) Friedman birth certificate, 1896
Herbert Friedman birth certificate (photocopy), 1924
Herbert Friedman Barmitzvah, 1937 November 26
Information about Rabbi Benjamin Murmelstein
Information about Dr. Israel Taglicht, Former Chief Rabbi of Vienna
Herbert Friedman Hakoah swim team card , 1938 March 10
Last time Herbert Friedman used his swim team card on March 10, 1938. Hitler invaded Vienna March 12, 1938.
Austrian citizenship paper for Herbert Friedman (copy), 1938 September 13
Herbert Friedman personenbeschreibung, 1938 September 20
Herbert Friedman geiltungsbereich des passes (scope of passport), 1938-1941
Herbert Friedman Nazi passport Reisepass, 1938 October 13
Herbert Friedman list of travel items, 1938 December 4
Herbert Friedman document of identity for admittance to the United Kingdom for Kindertransport, 1938 December 11
Instructions for Kindertransport, 1938 December 8
Identification tag worn on Kindertransport (No. 325)
Herbert Friedman ticket to Harwich over English Channel
Benjamin (Bencjan) Israel Muszkatblit documents , 1939 July
Affidavit from David Friedman, [1940 July 11]
R. M. S. Samaria ship program (passage to America), 1940 November 14
Herbert Friedman Secondary School report cards, 1930-1937
Herbert Friedman Forest Park High School report cards, 1943 June
Herbert Friedman Certificate of United States Naturalization, 1943 November 19
Herbert Friedman College report card, 1947-1950
Herbert Friedman membership to Omicron Chapter of Rho Chi Society, 1949 March 20
Herbert Friedman Appointment of 2nd Lieutenant United States Army, 1950 December 21
Herbert Friedman letter of Commendation for Joint Army Emergency Relief Fund, 1951 October 12
Herbert Friedman Appreciation for judging at Mardi Gras Carnival Party (U. S. Army), 1951 November 5
Herbert Friedman Letter of Recommendation as Pharmacy Officer, 1952 August 6
Herbert Friedman Virginia Board of Pharmacy registration, 1953 November 12
Herbert Friedman Virginia Notary Public Certificate, 1976 June 4
Herbert Friedman Eastern Virginia Health Systems Agency, Inc. Certificate of Appreciation as member of the board, 1980-1986
Herbert Friedman's suggestion of name change for pharmaceutical product, 1983 December 9
President of the Jewish Religious Community appreciation of Herbert Friedman for saving a woman who was drowning, 1937 October 19
Presidential Office Senate Council of Vienna (mayor) bestows grant for courageous actions to your son, Herbert Friedman, 1937 December 4
Herbert Friedman Letter of Appreciation for saving life of a drowning woman, 1985
Invitation for Herbert Friedman to be Honored by Austrian Ambassador, 1986 April 9
Postcard from Herbert Friedman to his parents from Pernitz, Austria, 1935 February 18
Maternal Grandmother Golda Muszkatblit letter to Herbert Friedman, 1938 February 27
Maternal Grandmother Golda Muszkatblit letter (copy -English translation), 1938 November
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1938 December 21
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1938 December 26
Ida Friedman (mother) and her daughter Lilli to Herbert Friedman, 1938 December 30
Letter from Bencjan Muczkatblit (Ida's brother) to Herbert Friedman in England, 1938 December 30
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 January 3
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 January 11
Bernhard ("Benny") Friedman to his brother Herbert Friedman , 1939 January 18
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 January 23
Herbert Friedman to his brother Bernhard Friedman, 1939 February
Carl Muscatt to Herbert Friedman, 1939 February 1
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 February 6
Marthe [Martha] Rozencwajg to cousin Herbert Friedman, 1939 February 6
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 February 22
Bernhard Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 February 26
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 March 7
Shlomo [Solomon] Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 March 19
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 March 21
Bernhard Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 March 27
David Friedman to his son Herbert Friedman, 1939 March 27
David Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 April 7
Bernhard Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 April 7
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman , 1939 April 23
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 May 12
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 May 28
Bernhard (Benny) Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 May 24
Marthe Rozencwajg to Herbert Friedman (photocopy), 1939 June 2
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 June 8
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 June 23
[Vater] to Herbert Friedman, 1939 June 25
Solomon (Schlomo) Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 June 27
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 June 30
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 July 11
David Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 July 16
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 July 17
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 July 18
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 July 26
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 August 2
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 August 2
David Friedman to Herbert Friedman (English translation only), 1939 August 6
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 August 17
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 August 29
Bernhard (Benny) Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 October 5
Marthe Rozencwajg to Herbert Friedman, 1939 October 5
David Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 October 8
Ida and Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 October 24
Her first letter from Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1939 November 22
Lilli Friedman (unsigned) birthday card to Herbert Friedman, 1939 December 15
David and Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 January 1
Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 January 1
David, Ida, and Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 January 29
Bencjan Muszkatblik to Herbert Friedman, 1940 February 6
Julian Muszkatblik to Marthe Rozencwadg (photocopy), 1940 February 10
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 February 12
Golda Muszkatblik (maternal grandmother) and Marthe Rozencwajg to Herbert Friedman, 1940 February 27
Bencjan Muszkatblit to Herbert Friedman including photocopies of photographs, [1940 March 11]
David, Ida, and Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 March 21
Bencjan Muszkatblit to Herbert Friedman, 1940 March 28
Ida and Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 April 25
David Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 June 2
Marthe Rozencwajd to Herbert Friedman, 1940 June 4
David Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 June 16
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman (dictated in English), 1940 July 5
Ida Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 July 8
David Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 July 12
David, Ida, Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 July 18
David, Ida, Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 August 1
David, Ida, Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 August 6
David, Ida, Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman including photograph of Herbert, 1940 August 12
David, Ida, Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 September 4
David, Ida, Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 September 13
David, Ida, Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 September 20
David, Ida, Lilli Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1940 October 8
Telegram announcing Herbert Friedman arrival, 1940 November 19
Miscellaneous envelopes
Carl Muscat to Friedman family, 1940 December 3
American Red Cross cables between Ida Friedman and her sister Sara Weysbord about family including Bencjan Muszkatblik, 1941 March 4
Bencjan Muszkatblik to Ida Friedman about his need to get a ship ticket and to travel to the U. S. Consulate in Marseilles, 1941 May 24
Solomon (Schlomo) Friedman to Ida Friedman, 1941 September 10
Bencjan Muszkatblik to Ida Friedman, 1941 October 9
Bernhard Friedman to Ida Friedman, 1941 December 19
Marthe (sometimes Martha) Rozencwajg to David and Ida Friedman (photocopy), 1944 September 27
Solomon (Schlomo) Friedman to Herbert Friedman, 1944 December 14
Letter from Friedman cousins in Israel to [David and Ida Friedman], 1973
Dorothy Harrison to David Friedman, 1986 September
Chief Rabbi Hertz of the British Empire welcome letter
Youth Movement Leader of the Association of Jewish War Veterans, Richard Gaensler letter to Young Friend about Herbert Friedman's heroic deed, 1937 November 2
Movement For The Care Of Children From Germany, 1939 January 18
Movement For The Care Of Children From Germany, 1939 January 26
Office of Buckingham Palace letter (copy) (The Right Honorable. The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs) response to a letter asking about the situation with Dantzig Jews and Palestine , 1939 February 28
Telegram from Professor/Principal Samuel Levene to Herbert Friedman telling him to return to Kendra Hall for appointment, 1939 November
Children and Youth Aliya to Herbert Friedman, 1939 December 22
Children and Youth Aliyah to Herbert Friedman about helping him to join in parents, 1940 January 8
Refugee Children's Movement, LTD. Emigration Department informs of ship's cancellation, 1940 February 10
Includes card notification from the Hampstead National Registration Office that address must be updated to receive new ration book.
Baltimore Council of National Association of Jewish Women, Julia Myer Strauss and Herbert Friedman correspondence about affidavits from Alvin Thalheimer and from Herbert's father, 1940 May-July
National Refugee Service, Inc. to Herbert Friedman about affidavits, 1940 July 23
Dr. Johanna Silbermann to Herbert Friedman about emigration
National Refugee Service to the American Consul about Herbert Friedman's emigration, 1940 July 17
Central Office for Refugees medical appointment card with Dr. Johanna Silbermann for Herbert Friedman, 1940 August 10
Townley Castle School principal Samuel Levene letter of recommendation for Herbert Friedman, 1940 September
Mrs. L. Phipps, Refugee Children's Movement, Ltd. to Herbert Friedman about sailing on October 10 to Canada, 1940 September 26
Julie Myer Strauss and Fanny B. Thalheimer to Herbert Friedman thanking him for telegram, 1941 April-May
Julia Myer Strauss to Herbert Friedman thanking him with deep appreciation for his gift to her and her happiness for him
Benefactor Alvin Thalheimer to Herbert Friedman, 1941 May 13
Benefactor Alvin Thalheimer to Herbert Friedman, 1941 June 21
United States Department of Justice to David Friedman about citizen status, 1942 February 20
Julie Myers Strauss to Herbert Friedman thanking him for Mother's Day card and reflecting how thankful she is they could help him, 1942 May 12
Angela M. Broening, head of English department at Forest Park High School to parents of Herbert Friedman about taking public speaking class, 1942 June 3
Julie Myer Strauss to Ida Friedman asking for name of child in France who needs help, 1942 October 19
Benefactor Alvin Thalheimer to Herbert Friedman about Herbert joining the army, 1943 August 25
United States Senator George L. Radcliffe to Herbert Friedman about a homeland for Jewish people, 1946 July 19
Mabel Cooney, Secretary to Henry A. Wallace (Vice President of the United States) to Herbert Friedman sharing an article about Wallace by Thomas L. Stokes, 1947 February 11
Federal Chancellor of Austria letter to Herbert Friedman , 1988 July 27
Thomas Klestil (Der Bundesprasident Austria) letter to Herbert Friedman, 1998 June 22
Letter about the National Government of Austria conveying gold medal to Herbert Friedman, 1988 December 14
Baltimore Committee on Civilian Defense to Herbert Friedman about volunteer work as a teacher in Civilian Defense
Walter (friend from Wilbingham Scotland) to Herbert Friedman, 1939 January 22
English translation with the letter
Youngel (Wolfgang Ader) to Herbert Friedman and Heinz Reiner, 1939 March 7
English translation with the letter
Hermann to Herbert Friedman, 1939 August 8
English translation with the letter
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1939 October 24
English translation with the letter
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1939 December 9
English translation with the letter
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1939 December 14
English translation with the letter
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1939 December 20
English translation with the letter
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1939 December 31
English translation with the letter
Manfred Kanarek to Herbert Friedman, 1940 January
English translation with the letter
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1940 January 9
English translation with the letter
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman , 1940 January 23
English translation with the letter
Manfred Kanarek to Herbert Friedman, 1940 February 11
Erwin Geringer to Herbert Friedman, [1940] February 23
Erwin Geringer to Dear Boys, 1940 February 23
Erwin Geringer postcards to Herbert and other boys, 1940 March
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1940 June 3
There is an English translation with the letter.
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman , 1940 September 9
There is an English translation with the letter.
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1940 November 10
There is an English translation with the letter.
Stephen Rose to Herbert Friedman, 1940 November 20
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1940 November 25
There is an English translation with the letter.
Irving Geringer to Herbert Friedman, 1940 December 13
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1941 February 2
There is an English translation with the letter.
M. Skock to Herbert Friedman, 1941 February 2
Alice Bender to Herbert Friedman, 1941 February 5
Albert Brunn and Stephan to Herbert Friedman, 1941 April 14 (Stephan)
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1941 May 13
No English translation
Albert Brunn to Herbert Friedman, 1941 May 19
Alice Bender to Herbert Friedman, 1941 June 2
F. Braun to Herbert Friedman, 1941 July 13
Leopold Winterstein to Mr. Friedman, 1941 August 15
There is an English translation with the letter.
Albert Brunn to Herbert Friedman, 1941 August 31
Alice Bender to Herbert Friedman, 1941 November 11
Alice Bender to Herbert Friedman, 1942 March 4
Erwin Geringer to Herbert Friedman and training certificate for air raid warning in Baltimore Civil Defense, 1942 July 29
Martin Loebl to Herbert Friedman, 1942 August 1
There is an English translation with the letter.
Vienna newspaper article titled, "Friedman und Fleischer" telling the story of how they saved a drowning woman, 1937 October 16
There is an English translation with the article.
no translation
Yiddish newspaper article (Radon, Poland) about Friedman and Fleisher saving the woman drowning in Vienna
no translation
no translation
Newsletter article about Herbert Friedman name change on pharmaceutical product, 1983-1984
Photograph of an [unidentified woman] possibly grandmother of Herbert Friedman
Photographs of Bencjan Muszkatblik, his wife Erna, and son Julius
Photograph of Herbert Friedman (head and shoulder), 1944
Herbert Friedman military photographs, 1940-1950
Photograph of Herbert Friedman in military uniform
Yiddish New Years card to Ida Friedman and photograph of First Grade class at Gerharduss Gasse Schule, 1926
no translation
Photographs of children at Kindertransport, 1938 December
Photograph of Vienna neighbors
Scans of Herbert Friedman standing with his sons and photograph of his grandchildren
Herbert Friedman description of saving the life of a drowning woman
"My Prayer To God" Herbert Friedman Thanksgiving Message, 1941 November 20
"The Spirit of London" Herbert Friedman, 1941 December 17
Photographs of Herbert Friedman teaching and interviewing about his life experience during the Holocaust
Auerback, Wendy Juren,
Sir Martin Gilbert to Herbert Friedman about his book,
Information about Klosterneuburger Street in Vienna
Donor numerical notes about the collection
American Red Cross Letter of Inquiry for Bencjan Muszkatblik, 1941 January 13
British Red Cross results of inquiry about Martin Loebl, 1988 July 8
Search results for Rosa Frydmann and her son Max, 1989 January 31
Search results for Julius Muszkatblit, 1995 March 30
Genealogy names and searches for family and friends, 1995
Identification documents for family (copies)