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Bea Karp

Bea Karp was born Beate Stern in Lauterbach, Germany in 1932. She and her family were forced from their home and transported by passenger train to internment camps in the south of France. Bea and her sister Susie were saved by the Jewish French Underground, Œuvre de secours aux enfants (OSE), and were hidden in numerous chateaus and convents until the end of the war. They were never reunited with their parents who were murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Bea arrived in the US in 1947, later settling in Omaha with her husband and four daughters. Bea spoke extensively about her Holocaust experiences with Nebraska and Iowa schoolchildren and at community gatherings. Hear Bea's testimony in her own words.


309 items

Letter from Paulette Rimmer to Beate Stern, June 27, 1943

  • Date: June 27, 1943
  • Creator(s): Rimmer, Paulette
  • Format: letter

Letter from Paulette Rimmer to Beate Stern, July 8, 1943

  • Date: July 8, 1943
  • Creator(s): Rimmer, Paulette
  • Format: letter

Postcard from Paulette Rimmer to Beate Stern, July 16, 1943

  • Date: July 16, 1943
  • Creator(s): Rimmer, Paulette
  • Format: letter

Letter from Gerty Gross to Beate Stern, August 10, 1943

  • Date: August 10, 1943
  • Creator(s): Gross, Gerty
  • Format: letter

Letter from Gerty Gross to Beate Stern (Bea Karp), August 27, 1943

  • Date: August 27, 1943
  • Creator(s): Gross, Gerty
  • Format: letter

Letter from Isaac L. Asofsky to Bertha Gottlieb, November 23, 1943

  • Date: November 23, 1943
  • Creator(s): Asofsky, Isaac L.
  • Format: letter

Letter from Paulette Rimmer to Beate Stern, [1943]

  • Date: [1943]
  • Creator(s): Rimmer, Paulette
  • Format: letter

Postcard from Gerty Gross to Beate or Susi Stern, [1943]

  • Date: [1943]
  • Creator(s): Gross, Gerty
  • Format: letter

Request for News on Beate Stern (Bea Karp), October 16, 1944

  • Date: October 16, 1944
  • Format: document

Postcard from Senta Loewenstein to Beate and Suzy Stern, December 18, 1944

  • Date: December 18, 1944
  • Creator(s): Loewenstein, Senta
  • Format: letter

Postcard from Senta Loewenstein to Flora Schmidt, December 19, 1944

  • Date: December 19, 1944
  • Creator(s): Loewenstein, Senta
  • Format: letter

Letter from Germaine Dessonaz to Suzanne Bardon regarding Bea Karp, December 20, 1944

  • Date: December 20, 1944
  • Creator(s): Dessonaz, Germaine
  • Format: letter

Letter from Suzanne Bardon to Beate Stern, December 27, 1944

  • Date: December 27, 1944
  • Creator(s): Bardon, Suzanne
  • Format: letter

Letter from Senta Loewenstein to Suzy and Beate Stern, December 28, 1944

  • Date: December 28, 1944
  • Creator(s): Loewenstein, Senta
  • Format: letter

Bea Karp at Chateau La Borie Children's Home

  • Date: 1945-1946
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Ruth Zarnicer Wertheimer

Letter from Senta Loewenstein to Beate and Susie Stern, January 29, 1945

  • Date: January 29, 1945
  • Creator(s): Loewenstein, Senta
  • Format: letter

Letter from Flora and Albert Schmidt to Beate and Suzy Stern, February 2, 1945

  • Date: February 2, 1945
  • Creator(s): Schmidt, Flora Gottlieb | Schmidt, Albert
  • Format: letter

Letter from Suzanne Bardon to Beate and Susie Stern, February 2, 1945

  • Date: February 2, 1945
  • Creator(s): Bardon, Suzanne
  • Format: letter

Postcard from Myriam Loewenstein and friends to Beate and Suzy Stern

  • Date: February 5, 1945
  • Creator(s): Loewenstein, Myriam
  • Format: letter

Postcard from Senta Loewenstein to Beate and Suzy Stern, February 18, 1945

  • Date: February 18, 1945
  • Creator(s): Loewenstein, Senta
  • Format: letter

Letter from Ernest Kahn to Beate and Susie Stern, February 19, 1945

  • Date: February 19, 1945
  • Creator(s): Kahn, Ernest S.
  • Format: letter

Letter from OSE Paris to Suzanne Bardon, February 23, 1945

  • Date: February 23, 1945
  • Format: letter

Letter from Siegfried Gottlieb to OSE Paris, March 4, 1945

  • Date: March 4, 1945
  • Creator(s): Gottlieb, Siegfried
  • Format: letter

Letter from Suzanne Bardon to OSE Paris, March 9, 1945

  • Date: March 9, 1945
  • Creator(s): Bardon, Suzanne
  • Format: letter

Letter to Beate and Susie Stern, March 9, 1945

  • Date: March 9, 1945
  • Format: letter

Letter from OSE Paris to OSE Nice, March 13, 1945

  • Date: March 13, 1945
  • Format: document

Letter from Suzanne Bardon to OSE Paris, March 14, 1945

  • Date: March 14, 1945
  • Creator(s): Bardon, Suzanne
  • Format: letter

Letter from Beate Stern to OSE Paris, March 22, 1945

  • Date: March 22, 1945
  • Creator(s): Karp, Bea
  • Format: letter

Letter from Suzanne Bardon to Madame Mazour, March 27, 1945

  • Date: March 27, 1945
  • Creator(s): Bardon, Suzanne
  • Format: letter

Letter from OSE Paris to HICEM Paris, April 10, 1945

  • Date: April 10, 1945
  • Format: letter

Postcard from Senta Loewenstein to Beate and Susie Stern, April 10, 1945

  • Date: April 10, 1945
  • Creator(s): Loewenstein, Senta
  • Format: postcard

Letter from OSE Paris to OSE Limoges, April 12, 1945

  • Date: April 12, 1945
  • Format: letter

Letter from Bertha Gottlieb to Siegfried and Mary Stern, April 22, 1945

  • Date: April 22, 1945
  • Creator(s): Gottlieb, Bertha
  • Format: letter

Letter from Jeanette Gottlieb and Siegfried Gottlieb, April 22, 1945

  • Date: April 22, 1945
  • Creator(s): Gottlieb, Jeanette | Gottlieb, Siegfried
  • Format: letter

Postcard from Flora, Albert and Berta to Beate and Susie Stern, May 1, 1945

  • Date: May 1, 1945
  • Creator(s): Schmidt, Flora Gottlieb | Schmidt, Albert | Gottlieb, Berta
  • Format: postcard

Postcard from Bertha Gottlieb and Flora and Albert Schmidt to Beate and Susie Stern, May 1, 1945

  • Date: May 1, 1945
  • Creator(s): Schmidt, Flora Gottlieb | Schmidt, Albert | Gottlieb, Bertha
  • Format: postcard

Letter from OSE Paris to Beate Stern, May 4, 1945

  • Date: May 4, 1945
  • Format: letter

Telegram from OSE Paris to Louise Gordon, May 13, 1945

  • Date: May 13, 1945
  • Creator(s): OSE Paris
  • Format: telegram

Postcard from Flora and Albert Schmidt to Beate and Susie Stern, May 16, 1945

  • Date: May 16, 1945
  • Creator(s): Schmidt, Flora Gottlieb | Schmidt, Albert
  • Format: postcard

Postcard from Flora and Albert Schmidt to Beate and Susie Stern, May 16, 1945

  • Date: May 16, 1945
  • Creator(s): Schmidt, Flora | Schmidt, Albert
  • Format: document

Letter from Senta Loewenstein to OSE Paris, May 20, 1945

  • Date: May 20, 1945
  • Creator(s): Loewenstein, Senta
  • Format: letter

Telegram from OSE to Louise Gordon, May 23, 1945

  • Date: May 23, 1945
  • Format: telegram