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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.


310 items

Questionnaire from Commission for the compensation of victims filled out by Beatrice Karp

  • Date: March 20, 2002
  • Format: document

Poster for Bea Karp's Book Launch

  • Format: document

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

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

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

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

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 Beate and Susie Stern, April 10, 1945

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

Postcard from Rosa Stern to Bertha Gottlieb, May 16, 1942

  • Date: May 16, 1942
  • Creator(s): Stern, Rosa
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Postcard from Rosa Stern to Bertha Gottlieb, July 13, 1942

  • Date: July 13, 1942
  • Creator(s): Stern, Rosa
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Postcard from Rosa Stern to Beate Stern (Bea Karp), January 28, 1942

  • Date: January 28, 1942
  • Creator(s): Stern, Rosa
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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

  • Date: July 16, 1943
  • Creator(s): Rimmer, Paulette
  • 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 Moritz Stern to Beate Stern, December 11, 1941

  • Date: December 11, 1941
  • Format: postcard

Postcard from Moritz Stern to Beate Stern (Bea Karp), December 5, 1941

  • Date: December 5, 1941
  • Creator(s): Stern, Moritz
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Postcard from Moritz Stern to Beate Stern (Bea Karp), August 17, 1942

  • Date: August 17, 1942
  • Creator(s): Stern, Moritz
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Postcard from Gerty Gross to Beate Stern, May 25, 1943

  • Date: May 25, 1943
  • Creator(s): Gross, Gerty
  • Format: letter

Postcard from Gerty Gross to Beate Stern, May 10, 1943

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

Postcard from Gerty Gross to Beate Stern, June 16, 1943

  • Date: June 16, 1943
  • Creator(s): Gross, Gerty
  • Format: letter

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

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

Postcard from Gerty Gross to Beate and Susi Stern, March 31, 1943

  • Date: March 31, 1943
  • Creator(s): Gross, Gerty
  • 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 Flora and Albert Schmidt to Beate and Susie Stern, May 16, 1945

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

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 Bertha Gottlieb to Rosa Stern, August 16, 1942

  • Date: August 16, 1942
  • Creator(s): Gottlieb, Bertha
  • Format: letter

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

Pappenheimer Wedding Photo

  • Format: photograph

Outlaw Grocery Store

  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Pappenheimer, Deborah

OSE Questionnaire Regarding Bea Karp

  • Format: document

OSE form completed February 23, 1945, for Beate Stern with letter from Jean-François Guthmann attached

  • Format: document

Note Concerning Rosa Stern's Visa Application, [September 30, 1941]

  • Date: [September 30, 1941]
  • Format: letter

Nazi-camp survivor breathes life into lessons — An Omaha woman shares her Holocaust memories with Catholic grade school students

  • Date: April 12, 2005
  • Creator(s): Gersema, Emily
  • Format: newspaper

My Broken Doll

  • Date: 2014
  • Creator(s): Karp, Bea | Pappenheimer, Deborah
  • Format: book

Moritz Stern with Hat

  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Pappenheimer, Deborah

Moritz Stern ID Photo

  • Date: 1938
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Pappenheimer, Deborah

Moritz Stern at Desk

  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Pappenheimer, Deborah

Middle School Students Videoconference With Holocaust Survivor

  • Date: April 7, 2014
  • Format: newspaper

Messages on Train Tracks Auschwitz-Birkenau - Poland 2005

  • Date: 2005
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Message Regarding Beate Stern (Bea Karp) and Susie Stern's Travels, May 23, 1945

  • Date: May 23, 1945
  • Format: letter

Message Regarding Beate and Suse's Travels, May 23, 1945

  • Date: May 23, 1945
  • Format: letter

Message from Rosa Stern to Bertha Gottlieb, May 13, 1942

  • Date: May 13, 1942
  • Format: document
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Message from Rosa Stern to Bertha Gottlieb, July 7, 1942

  • Date: July 7, 1942
  • Creator(s): Stern, Rosa
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Message from Markus Stern to Adolf Stern, September 3, 1942

  • Date: September 3, 1942
  • Creator(s): Stern, Markus
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Message from Markus Stern to Adolf Stern, September 3, 1942

  • Date: September 3, 1942
  • Creator(s): Stern, Adolf
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Memorial at Majdanek

  • Date: 2005
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Memorial at Auschwitz I

  • Date: 2005
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Marriage Certificate of Irving Pappenheimer and Beatrice Stern (Bea Karp)

  • Date: July 4, 1957
  • Format: document

Making a Lasting Impact

  • Date: 2021
  • Format: digitalpub
  • Source: University of Nebraska at Omaha

Majdanek, Poland 2005

  • Date: 2005
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

List of Bea Karp's possessions

  • Date: November 1941
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer papers, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Letters of Gratitude to Bea

  • Format: book

Letter to Susie and Beate Stern from Senta Loewenstein

  • Creator(s): Loewenstein, Senta
  • Format: letter
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