charm
Object numberM2002/012:004
Titlecharm
DescriptionSmall item of jewellery made from metal in the Theresienstadt ghetto/concentration camp, for use as a small charm, to be hung from a chain. The letters 'FW' are carved out (negative space) of the shape. It belonged to Pavel Thorsch who was a member of the Fire Brigade in Terezin. FW stands for 'Feuerwehr' (Fire Brigade). Engraved on the reverse side: 'Pali' (Pavel's nickname) and the date '4.4.45'. Maker unkown.
Pavel Thorsch was born 15 December 1902 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, to Jacob Thorsch (a chemical engineer, born 1861) and Ida Thorsch (nee Winter born 1871). Pavel had two older siblings, Olga and Fred. Around 1920 he got a job in Vienna, arranged by his father, working for a bank. In 1926, 24-year-old Pavel married Marguerite (Greta) in Vienna. In 1938 they fled to Prague. His work with the Jewish community offered protection from deportation for a long time – also because he was married to a Catholic woman. In February 1945 he was deported to Terezin, leaving his wife behind.
Pavel joined the Fire Brigade immediately upon entering the concentration camp. The fire brigade was a vital part of the control and safety of the camp. It was created as a part of the technical department, one of the six departments of the Jewish self-administration of the concentration camp. Barracks and bunks were wooden; things frequently went up in flames. The Fire Brigade put out room fires, fires on the rubbish dump, extinguished fires caused by electric cables. They were used not just for firefighting but also as guards, labourers, rescue workers, first aid officers, fighting floods, cleaning toilets and sewer blockages and did a lot of transport of the sick and dying. They burnt vermin infested straw mattresses, assisted at the train station with arriving and departing transports. They also did rapid response rescues, and air defence duties such as black outs. It was hard, dangerous, dirty and unrelenting work.
The commandant of the Fire Brigade was an engineer, Leo Holzer. He had been a student at Pavel’s high school in Brno and they knew each other. Holzer later wrote in his memoirs that towards the end of the war the Fire Brigade were also forced to burn wagonloads of documents from the German main office, the Jewish self-government, files of the protectorate gendarmerie, and mail - hundreds of mailbags of letters and cards that hadn’t yet been delivered to the prisoners.
Pavel met Annamarie (Mimi) Pollak in Terezin in early 1945 and fell in love. After the Russians liberated the camp on 9 May 1945, Mimi and Pavel left together, travelling to Prague. They divorced their respective spouses; their daughter Daniela was born in 1946 and they finally got married in 1947. In February 1948 they decided to leave, sailing on the Toscana from Genoa, arriving in Australia on 3 December 1948.
Pavel Thorsch was born 15 December 1902 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, to Jacob Thorsch (a chemical engineer, born 1861) and Ida Thorsch (nee Winter born 1871). Pavel had two older siblings, Olga and Fred. Around 1920 he got a job in Vienna, arranged by his father, working for a bank. In 1926, 24-year-old Pavel married Marguerite (Greta) in Vienna. In 1938 they fled to Prague. His work with the Jewish community offered protection from deportation for a long time – also because he was married to a Catholic woman. In February 1945 he was deported to Terezin, leaving his wife behind.
Pavel joined the Fire Brigade immediately upon entering the concentration camp. The fire brigade was a vital part of the control and safety of the camp. It was created as a part of the technical department, one of the six departments of the Jewish self-administration of the concentration camp. Barracks and bunks were wooden; things frequently went up in flames. The Fire Brigade put out room fires, fires on the rubbish dump, extinguished fires caused by electric cables. They were used not just for firefighting but also as guards, labourers, rescue workers, first aid officers, fighting floods, cleaning toilets and sewer blockages and did a lot of transport of the sick and dying. They burnt vermin infested straw mattresses, assisted at the train station with arriving and departing transports. They also did rapid response rescues, and air defence duties such as black outs. It was hard, dangerous, dirty and unrelenting work.
The commandant of the Fire Brigade was an engineer, Leo Holzer. He had been a student at Pavel’s high school in Brno and they knew each other. Holzer later wrote in his memoirs that towards the end of the war the Fire Brigade were also forced to burn wagonloads of documents from the German main office, the Jewish self-government, files of the protectorate gendarmerie, and mail - hundreds of mailbags of letters and cards that hadn’t yet been delivered to the prisoners.
Pavel met Annamarie (Mimi) Pollak in Terezin in early 1945 and fell in love. After the Russians liberated the camp on 9 May 1945, Mimi and Pavel left together, travelling to Prague. They divorced their respective spouses; their daughter Daniela was born in 1946 and they finally got married in 1947. In February 1948 they decided to leave, sailing on the Toscana from Genoa, arriving in Australia on 3 December 1948.
Production date 1945-04-04
Object namejewellery
Materialmetal
Dimensions
- whole width: 15.00 mm
height: 15.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Daniela Torsh