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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

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 Siegfried Gottlieb to OSE Paris, March 4, 1945

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

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

  • Date: February 23, 1945
  • 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

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

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

Postcard from Myriam Loewenstein and friends to Beate and Suzy Stern

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

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

  • Date: February 2, 1945
  • Creator(s): Bardon, Suzanne
  • 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 Senta Loewenstein to Beate and Susie Stern, January 29, 1945

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

Letter from Flora Gottlieb Schmidt to Dr. Minkovsky, January 14, 1945

  • Date: January 14, 1945
  • Format: letter

Letter from Beate and Susie Stern to Flora Schmidt

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Karp, Bea | Stern, Susie
  • 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 Beate Stern to Flora and Albert Schmidt

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

Letter from Beate Stern to Flora and Albert Schmidt (Contemporary English Translation)

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Karp, Bea
  • Format: document

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

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

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

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

Letter from the Jewish Refugees Committee to Bertha Gottlieb, December 20, 1944

  • Date: December 20, 1944
  • 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

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, December 18, 1944

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

Search Request for Beate Stern from United Kingdom Search Bureau

  • Date: October 16, 1944
  • Format: document

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

  • Date: October 16, 1944
  • Format: document

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

  • Date: November 23, 1943
  • Creator(s): Asofsky, Isaac L.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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

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

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

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

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

  • Date: July 16, 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

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

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

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

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

Letter from Paulette Rimmer to Beate Stern, June 16, 1943

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

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

Letter from Paulette Rimmer to Bea Karp, April 3, 1943

  • Date: April 3, 1943
  • Creator(s): Rimmer, Paulette
  • 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 Gerty Gross to Beate or Susi Stern, [1943]

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

Letter from Paulette Rimmer to Beate Stern, [1943]

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

Letter from Emily Hughes to Bertha Gottlieb, December 23, 1942

  • Date: December 23, 1942
  • Creator(s): Hughes, Emily
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Beate Stern Health Assessment

  • Date: October 16, 1942
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer papers, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Susie Stern Health Assessment

  • Date: October 1942
  • Format: letter
  • Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection

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

Letter from Moritz Stern to Flora Gottlieb Schmidt, August 30, 1942

  • Date: August 30, 1942
  • 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 Bertha Gottlieb to Rosa Stern, August 16, 1942

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

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

Letter from Emily Hughes to Bertha Gottlieb, July 7, 1942

  • Date: July 7, 1942
  • Creator(s): Hughes, Emily
  • Format: letter
  • 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

Letter from Flora Gottlieb Schmidt to Chateau de Chammont, July 1, 1942

  • Date: July 1, 1942
  • Creator(s): Schmidt, Flora Gottlieb
  • Format: letter

Letter from Rosa Stern to Beate Stern (Bea Karp), July 1, 1942

  • Date: July 1, 1942
  • Creator(s): Stern, Rosa
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Beatrice Pappenheimer Papers, 1990.153, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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