Object numberM2018/053:001
DescriptionEmbroidered bag made by Ruth Rack (nee Landesberg) at school in 1934 and packed in her suitcase when she left Leipzig, Germany on the Kindertransport on 3 May 1939. Ruth learned reading, writing, sewing, knitting, embroidery and crochet as part of her schooling; however she didn’t enjoy her early schooling because of the anti-semitism.
Ruth was born on 3 April 1928 in Leipzig Germany. Her father Bernhard was a chazzan (cantor) at their local synagogue and worked as a businessman. Ruth’s mother Anna took care of the children at home. Ruth recalls that her home life was religiously observant and that they “lived very happily” as a close family. Ruth had two older sisters, Charlotte (known as Lottie) and Estelle (known as Esther) who both escaped Germany with student visas and flew to England in early 1939 when they were 18 and 17 respectively. Ruth’s older brother Joachim (known as Bob) escaped to England with Ruth on the Kindertransport when he was 13. They also had a brother Leon who was born in 1924 but he died after a year and a half.
After Kristallnacht in November 1938, Ruth and her family attempted to leave Germany by going to the Polish consulate but were unsuccessful. Ruth’s father was taken to Buchenwald concentration camp (Germany) and later Sachsenhausen concentration camp (Germany) where he was murdered in June 1940. In 1939 Joseph Borg, a family friend arranged papers for Bob and Ruth to leave on the Kindertransport via the Netherlands. Ruth’s mother refused to leave Leipzig until her husband returned and her children were all safe. Consequently she was first incarcerated in the Leipzig Judenhaus, then deported to Belzec extermination camp (Poland) on 10 May 1942 and was murdered as part of the Final Solution. Of Ruth’s extended family 25 were murdered during the Holocaust, “they include both my parents, my maternal grandmother, aunties, uncles and little cousins.”
Ruth was taken to six different billets (temporary lodgings) to escape the bombings in London. She completed her schooling and a two year secretarial course at South Devon Technical College. After her schooling she lived in a hostel for three years. She was naturalized by the British Home Office after the war ended.
Ruth married her British and Jewish husband Peter Rack in 1949. They arrived in Australia in January 1950 and had two children, Roslyn and Phillip, and later grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
This embroidered bag is one of three donated by Ruth Rack.
Ruth was born on 3 April 1928 in Leipzig Germany. Her father Bernhard was a chazzan (cantor) at their local synagogue and worked as a businessman. Ruth’s mother Anna took care of the children at home. Ruth recalls that her home life was religiously observant and that they “lived very happily” as a close family. Ruth had two older sisters, Charlotte (known as Lottie) and Estelle (known as Esther) who both escaped Germany with student visas and flew to England in early 1939 when they were 18 and 17 respectively. Ruth’s older brother Joachim (known as Bob) escaped to England with Ruth on the Kindertransport when he was 13. They also had a brother Leon who was born in 1924 but he died after a year and a half.
After Kristallnacht in November 1938, Ruth and her family attempted to leave Germany by going to the Polish consulate but were unsuccessful. Ruth’s father was taken to Buchenwald concentration camp (Germany) and later Sachsenhausen concentration camp (Germany) where he was murdered in June 1940. In 1939 Joseph Borg, a family friend arranged papers for Bob and Ruth to leave on the Kindertransport via the Netherlands. Ruth’s mother refused to leave Leipzig until her husband returned and her children were all safe. Consequently she was first incarcerated in the Leipzig Judenhaus, then deported to Belzec extermination camp (Poland) on 10 May 1942 and was murdered as part of the Final Solution. Of Ruth’s extended family 25 were murdered during the Holocaust, “they include both my parents, my maternal grandmother, aunties, uncles and little cousins.”
Ruth was taken to six different billets (temporary lodgings) to escape the bombings in London. She completed her schooling and a two year secretarial course at South Devon Technical College. After her schooling she lived in a hostel for three years. She was naturalized by the British Home Office after the war ended.
Ruth married her British and Jewish husband Peter Rack in 1949. They arrived in Australia in January 1950 and had two children, Roslyn and Phillip, and later grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
This embroidered bag is one of three donated by Ruth Rack.
Production placeLeipzig, Germany
Production date circa 1934
Object namebags
Materialfibres (fabrics)
Dimensions
- width: 257.00 mm
height: 370.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Ruth Rack