Socks worn by Aurelia Gamzer, as a child in hiding in Lvov
Gift of Ruth Gamser Gruener
Id no. 2000.A.649ab, Textile
Aurelia Gamzer (later Ruth Gamser Gruener) wore these socks as a child in hiding in Lvov, Poland. Gamzer was smuggled out of the Lvov ghetto under her father?s coat and first hidden by the Szczygiel family, who had been her father's customers.
Gamzer?s mother and eventually her father went into hiding with another family, the Ojak?s, also in Lvov. Mr. Ojak had worked as a pastry baker for Gamzer?s father?s business. After a time, the Szczygiel family felt it was too dangerous to keep Gamzer in hiding, and so she joined her parents in the Ojak household. During their time in hiding, her mother reinforced the bottoms of these socks with pieces of pantyhose in order to quiet Gamzer?s footsteps and cover holes in the bottom of the socks.
Gamzer?s mother and eventually her father went into hiding with another family, the Ojak?s, also in Lvov. Mr. Ojak had worked as a pastry baker for Gamzer?s father?s business. After a time, the Szczygiel family felt it was too dangerous to keep Gamzer in hiding, and so she joined her parents in the Ojak household. During their time in hiding, her mother reinforced the bottoms of these socks with pieces of pantyhose in order to quiet Gamzer?s footsteps and cover holes in the bottom of the socks.
