Lot 780
WILHELM FILDERMAN
(1882 - 1963) Romanian Jewish leader instrumental in the rescue of a large portion of the Jewish population in Romania. Born in Bucharest, Filderman studied law and was elected to the Romanian parliament. He was also the head of several major Jewish originations. A former class-mate of Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu, he used his influence with him to mollify anti-Semitic measures imposed by the Nazis after Romania allied herself with Germany in 1941. He managed to get cancelled the order that Jews wear the Star of David and managed to have some of the Jews who had been deported from Bessarabia and Bukovina to Transnistria returned to their homes. In 1942 he established a secret organization, the Jewish Council, that was active in preventing the deportation of Romania's Jews to Poland that fall. Appealing to Romanian nationalism, he convinced the Romanian government that allowing the deportation would an affront to Romanian sovereignty. Filderman himself was deported in 1943 to Transnistria for his activities, but was released in August. Filderman continued in his original role through the end of the war. He left Romania in 1948 after Communists took control of Romania's Jewish organizations. He spent the remainder of his life in France. Offered here is an important collection of six typed Ds.S., 1p. ea, Bucharest, Aug. - Dec., 1941, some signed personally by Filderman, others bearing his stamped signature, including a very fine content D.S. (stamped), 1p. 4to., Bucharest Aug. 28, 1941 outlining efforts to be made by Romanian Jews to protect themselves against new anti-Semitic measures implemented by the Romanian government, reallocate funds to avoid confiscation by the authorities, the collection of cloth to be donated to Jews already interned in camps. This document was completed only two months following the infamous Iasi Program of June 27, 1941 in which the Romanian government murdered over 13,000 Jews in the city of Iasi. Another D.S., (stamped), 1p. legal folio, Bucharest, Nov. 24, 1941 advising Jewish organizations on the 'National Labor Activities' noting that "Jews must be present in the State Work Department from every District, each month. they must not travel out of the district limits. They must inform the Interior Ministry about their presence at home. They will be taken on at any moment at Prahova Oil & Gas Refiners ." Another document, dated Nov. 24, 1941 calls for all Synagogues to hold religious services on December 1 "For the Crown and country." This was part of Filderman's general strategy to demonstrate that Romania's Jews were loyal to the country and respected state authority. In a personally signed D.S. 1p. oblong 8vo., Bucharest, Dec. 3, 1941 he advises regional Jewish leaders to direct all requests for funds to him rather than the state directly. This was also part in parcel of Filderman's strategy to use his personal political connections to influence the state authorities. Sadly the Jews of Transylvania and Beersheba were not as fortunate as those in Romania proper, and hundreds of thousands of them perished. Amazingly, most of the Jews of central Romania (Wallachia) survived the war which was in large part due to the efforts of Filderman. Documents bear the usual folds, minor marginal wear, but are else in very good condition. Together, six pieces.
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