Paul Proskauer Collection

The Paul Proskauer Collection contains the correspondence and some family papers of Paul Proskauer and his family members, especially his immediate family. In addition, some of his professional writing, as well as some of his brother Henry (Hans) Proskauer's, is also present, along with research materials. The collection includes correspondence, official documents, articles and their unpublished drafts, newspaper clippings, photo albums, and some programs.

Correspondence between Paul Proskauer and his immediate family, his parents Curt and Erna Proskauer and his brother Henry (Hans) Proskauer, comprises most of Series I and a portion of the first subseries of Series II. This extensive correspondence provides information on the family's private life and daily activities as well as their opinions on numerous topics. A significant portion of the correspondence derives from Paul and Henry (Hans) Proskauer's trips to Europe, and provides their comments and their activities and experiences, especially of their trips to Switzerland and Italy. Series II additionally holds a diary of Henry (Hans) Proskauer's, documenting the year 1935-1936, when he lived in Zürich, Switzerland. Paul and Henry's trips are also documented through the photo and postcard albums of Series V, one of which includes identified photographs of family members and friends.

Another well-represented topic of this collection is the writings of Paul and Henry Proskauer, who both wrote reviews and articles on literature, art, theater, and other subjects for newspapers, especially the German-language newspaper Aufbau. Their writings and associated research material will be found in Series IV. The final subseries of the collection, Series VI, contains other research files that may have been used for these or other writings. Other material related to Henry (Hans) Proskauer's professional work as an architect may be found in the second subseries of Series II.

Information on the Proskauer family's emigration experiences, as well as more general information on the family, may be found in Series III. Emigration papers include correspondence from American consulates, official documents, and several versions of the family's affidavits of support used in acquiring an American visa. This series also holds some documentation of their residence in Italy prior to leaving for the United States. Notable is also the information on the deaths of Willy Cohn and his family, with material relating to the published excerpts of his diary and to the fate of Breslau Jews. Later documents of the family include letters to Curt and Erna Proskauer from friends in Germany and Italy that tell of the postwar situation there.