I am posting this on behalf of a member of the FEEFHS (Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies) Facebook group, since I know a number of readers here are descendants of Second World War Displaced Persons, and could thus help in the research.
She says:
As part of my master’s thesis on the legacy of WWII displacement, I’m looking for people who lived in displaced persons camps and would be willing to share their stories. If any of you have family members or oral histories that fit that description, please [contact] me. All ethnicities/nationalities/religions/experiences welcome.
[…]I’m also looking for perspectives from descendents of DPs and how they relate to their heritage[…]
Ultimately, I’m trying to discover what stories about the war and DP camps were shared, which ones weren’t, and why. I’m hoping that the answers to these questions will help me (and others) understand the legacy of displacement, as well as the way in which the war is and is not remembered.
I’d like for people to get in touch with me no later than October 15, and I’d like to have initial interviews conducted by October 31.
Her name is Cate Hodorowicz Hennessey and she is with Goucher College’s MFA program in Creative Nonfiction. She can be reached at cate.hennessey@gmail.com.
My mother was from Jekabpils and came to the US and settled in Iowa in 1949 with her parents, 2 brothers & a sister. She has many photos of DP camp life that I have already scanned into my computer. I also have papers from the International Tracing Bureau that contain previously unknown information about the fate of my paternal great-grandfather and great-aunt. Each year we have been able to glean a little more information about her experiences, but I know there is still much buried information. For many years she would not talk about it at all. It is so very important from a history aspect alone that these stories be known and shared. This research being conducted is a perfect opportunity for her to help others with her story. Shirley Coon
Thanks for posting my request to your blog! And Shirley, if you’d like to share your knowledge and photos of DP camp life, please let me know. All information is welcome. cate.hennessey@gmail.com