Edith Neumann Collection

The Edith Neumann Collection is comprised of the papers of the microbiologist Edith Neumann née Spitzer along with those of her family members, including her husband, Congregationalist pastor Frederick Neumann. For the purposes of this finding aid, Frederick Neumann, born Friedrich, is referred to by his Anglicized name.

The eventual immigration of Edith and Frederick Neumann to the United States from Austria via Yugoslavia, London, and Palestine can be gleaned from material in several places of the collection. Chief among these are the identification and professional papers of Edith and Frederick Neumann, issued by agencies and organizations in several countries. Edith Neumann's identification and citizenship papers will be found in the first subseries of the collection. Her professional papers hold letters of reference and employment verification from employers in Austria, Israel (then Palestine), and the United States. Both Frederick Neumann's identification and professional papers are located in Series II, Subseries 1. In addition, some of the photographs of Series IV, many of which are unidentified, may portray scenes or individuals from the Neumanns' time spent in Palestine. Some correspondence of Edith Neumann with non-family members, in Subseries 2 of Series I, references the nine years the couple spent in Palestine.

Information on Edith Neumann will be found throughout this collection. The majority of documents date from the time following the death of her husband. Series I holds many papers originating from her, including personal and official papers, correspondence, papers relating to her professional life, and financial papers. Items that document Edith Neumann's daily activities, such as calendars and cash books with monthly financial information, comprise Series III. Photographs of Edith Neumann, including of significant events and with others, will be found in Series IV. Documentation of Edith Neumann's philanthropic work, including her donations, will be found in several areas of the collection, including Subseries 1 of Series I as well as in Subseries 2 of Series III.

Papers of other family members are placed in several areas of the collection, but will primarily be found in Series II: Family Papers. Subseries of this series include the papers of Edith Neumann's husband Frederick, her sister Hanna Spitzer, her parents-in-law Jakob and Antonie Neumann, and the papers of other Spitzer and Neumann family members. Other papers of Frederick Neumann include correspondence with his wife, which is located in Subseries 2 of Series I. Correspondence with Frederick Neumann while he was performing missionary work in Yugoslavia in the mid-1930s is located in Subseries 2 of Series I (letters sent to his wife) and in Subseries 3 of Series II (letters sent from his parents in Vienna). Additional locations of documentation pertaining to Hanna Spitzer include her recipes, found among the index cards of Subseries 1 of Series III, and her collected View-Master reels, with the visual material in Series IV. A short biography of Alfred Spitzer will be found in the memoirs and notes of Series I, Subseries 1. Other material on Alfred Spitzer and his art collection is placed in Subseries 4 of Series III.

A small amount of material on restitution will also be found in various locations in the collection. Three folders of correspondence with Edith Neumann related to restitution are in Subseries 4 of Series I. Restitution correspondence and documentation pertaining to Friedrich Neumann will be found in Subseries 1 of Series II, and similar material for Hanna Spitzer is located in Subseries 2 of that same series.