Vera Nathans Semel papers
Collection Overview
Photographs, birth certificates, marriage certificates, identity cards, passports, and other papers of Vera Nathans Semel, a Dutch Jew who survived World War II in hiding. Most papers, including birth and marriage certificates, relate to Nathans's maternal family, the Paerls. Pre-war photographs show Nathans's maternal grandparents and uncle in Amsterdam; post-war photographs show her, her parents, husband, and children in Beverwijk and Bussum, both in the Netherlands, and in Scarsdale, New York.
Dates
- Creation: 1830-1996
Creator
- Semel, Vera Nathans, 1943- (Person)
Language of Material
Materials in Dutch and English
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the College of Charleston's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. Special Collections claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Biographical Note
Vera Nathans was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on August 1, 1943. Her parents, Ans and Hemmy Nathans, were forced to place her in hiding with two nurses from a children's hospital in Haarlem, Netherlands, before they were deported to Bergen-Belsen. Nathans was hidden with two other children, including a boy nearly the same age named Nico Visjager. One of the nurses, Corrie Blauuw, claimed that Nathans and Visjager were her illegitimate twins. Nathans's parents survived Bergen-Belsen and Vera rejoined them in Beverwijk, Netherlands.
Nathans married Sandy Semel in 1965 in Bussum, Netherlands. The couple relocated to Scarsdale, New York, and had three children, Susan, David, and Adam.
Extent
0.25 linear feet (5 folders)
Abstract
Photographs, birth certificates, marriage certificates, identity cards, passports, and other papers of Vera Nathans Semel, a Dutch Jew who survived World War II in hiding. Most papers, including birth and marriage certificates, relate to Nathans's maternal family, the Paerls. Pre-war photographs show Nathans's maternal grandparents and uncle in Amsterdam; post-war photographs show her, her parents, husband, and children in Beverwijk and Bussum, both in the Netherlands, and in Scarsdale, New York.
Collection Arrangement
Materials are described at the folder level.
Acquisitions Information
Materials donated in 2000 by Vera Semel.
Alternate Form of Materials
Digital reproductions available online in the Lowcountry Digital Library.
Processing Information
Processed by Rebecca McClure, July 2011.
Source
- Semel, Vera Nathans, 1943- (Donor, Person)
Subject
- Semel, Vera Nathans, 1943- (Person)
- Paerl family (Family)
- Title
- Inventory of the Vera Nathans Semel Papers, 1830-1996
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by: Rebecca McClure; machine-readable finding aid created by: Rebecca McClure
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the processing of this collection and encoding of the finding aid.
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
Special Collections
College of Charleston Libraries
66 George Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424
(843) 953-8016
(843) 953-6319 (Fax)