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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 from Victoria to Bea Karp, July 18, 1945

  • Date: July 18, 1945
  • Creator(s): Victoria
  • Format: letter

Letter to Beate and Susie Stern, March 9, 1945

  • Date: March 9, 1945
  • Format: letter

Letter to Beate Stern, July 19, 1945

  • Date: July 19, 1945
  • Format: letter

Letter to Bertha Gottlieb, November 5, 1945

  • Date: November 5, 1945
  • Format: letter

Letter to SER Paris, July 19, 1945

  • Date: July 19, 1945
  • Format: letter

Letter to Susie and Beate Stern from Senta Loewenstein

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

List of Bea Karp's possessions

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

Majdanek, Poland 2005

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

Making a Lasting Impact

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

Memorial at Auschwitz I

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

Memorial at Majdanek

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

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

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 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

Messages on Train Tracks Auschwitz-Birkenau - Poland 2005

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

Moritz Stern at Desk

  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Pappenheimer, Deborah

Moritz Stern ID Photo

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

Moritz Stern with Hat

  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Pappenheimer, Deborah

My Broken Doll

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

Outlaw Grocery Store

  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Pappenheimer, Deborah

Pappenheimer Wedding Photo

  • Format: photograph

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

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

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

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 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 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

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 Stern, May 10, 1943

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

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

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

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 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, December 11, 1941

  • Date: December 11, 1941
  • Format: postcard

Postcard from Myriam Loewenstein and friends to Beate and Suzy Stern

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

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

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